


This Heaven Without Shooting Stars

by Skaas



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Life is weird period, M/M, The Ancient One is confused, will be adding tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-20
Updated: 2019-06-15
Packaged: 2020-03-08 09:28:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 23,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18891832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skaas/pseuds/Skaas
Summary: The first time Dr. Strange faces the self proclaimed heros of this world happens to be the one day the Ancient One isn't feeling well enough to do....whatever it is she does.Set in a world where Banner was wrong and an alternative universe does form, and Stephen Strange's misfortune starts....oh, about five years too early.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this is just a piece I began after watching Avengers 4, and I wasn't okay with the ending and people dying, but I respect their death at the same time. So this is a piece that goes in the alternate timeline, mainly that black one the Ancient One pointed out in the movie.  
> No spoiler alert here, but might be a little hard to understand if you haven't watched the movie yet.

“So Stephen, tell me.” The Ancient One says one day. While Strange is busy figuring out how to carry both the tea pot and the cup on one hand so he can flip his book with the other. _Which is really hard since his hands just won’t stop shaking_. “What was there before this Universe.”

“Another Universe.” He says. “And probably another one before that. Where are we going with this?”

“Good answer.” She hums, sounding pleased with him. “But not your own, try again.”  
  
“Oh my god.” Strange growled “What’s wrong with someone else’s answer. It’s probably correct.”  
  
“Perhaps, perhaps not.” She replies mildly. Sounding to all the world like she’s just calming down a mad man.  
  
In other words her usual let’s talk down to Dr. Strange voice.  
  
“Try again. Strange.”  
  
“Unlimited energy due to the black hole contracting.”  
  
“Try again.”  
  
“Warlords fighting over the right to create our world?”  
  
“Try again.”  
  
“....I don’t know! I wasn’t born that long ago.” God it’s a bad idea to ask her questions. Every time he does it, he either ends up as the laughing stock of whatever weird idea she tries on him in the name of teaching or this happens.  
  
“I’m sure no one was.” Is her answer. “At least no one alive at this moment.” And she knows that how?  
  
“You are thinking too hard, try again Stephen.”  
  
“....Massive giraffes chewing at the tree of life?”  
  
She laughs pleasantly to this. “No, not giraffes, but pink unicorns maybe.”  
  
He stops fidgeting with the side of his reddish black robes. “Seriously?”  
  
But no, of course she’s done explaining things (is that what she’s doing?) to him. Seemingly bored with making remarks on what she thinks of his answer, the Ancient One glances at the tea pot in his hand, much more interested in that than her only actual student. “Ask the God of Thunder in two years and bring me his answer.” Is what she tells him instead.  
  
“Okay. Now I’m sure you’re just messing with me.” He deadpanned. “How in the world am I supposed to talk to the God of Thunder. Such a person doesn’t even exist.”  
  
“All in due time, Stephen.” And oh boy he’s going to lose sleep over this isn’t he. Two fucking years.  
  
“Can we, can we not do this?” He signed, wrestling with the urge to slam her cup onto the desk. “I’ll apologize for not showing up to Master Kari’s class when I see her.”  
  
“You make sure you do that.” She says in her ‘you are dismissed’ voice and she still hasn’t told him how to summon two elements at the same time dammit! Sometimes he feels like Wong and Mordo are teaching him more than she is, which really frustrates him because spending a week with them equals to, oh, about three hours of class with her. But Dr. Strange really likes where his head is and would prefer to keep it there, so he dutifully gets up, nods to her and prepares to leave.  
  
It’s at this moment that Mordo barges in yelling at the top of his lungs. “Ancient One, horrible news! New York has been attacked by outer dimension aliens lead by the God of Mischief! We must do something!”  
  
“What?” Says Doctor Strange.  
  
“Oh don’t worry. I’m sure the Avengers can take care of it.” Says the Ancient One.  
  
“Who?” Says Wong holdings a fucking sword. Where did he get a sword?  
  
It’ll be another two days later before Strange sees the news about a newly formed hero organization preparing to fight against weird robot aliens led by Captain America, the supposedly dead hero from the 90s, including Ironman, the Hulk, two more humans, and one God of Thunder.  
  
Strange cannot even with his life.  
  
“You know what? I’ll remove myself from this room. Since I’m kind of just here to fix my hands and not get myself stuck in any of the overly serious stuff?” He says instead, politely pouring the Ancient One a cup of tea in hopes that she’ll start drinking and not tell him whatever otherworldly logic she wants to tell him. “In fact, Mordo, you can have my seat.”  
  
He barely gets halfway to the door when the Ancient One calls out his name. “Mister Strange.”  
  
“It’s Doctor Strange.” Shit, he should have just pretended he didn’t hear her.  
  
“You might want to hear this.” She says, commands really. “May be helpful in a few days.”  
  
“With all due respect,” he replies. “I still need to figure out how to attach fire particles to water particles without getting either gas or my table burned.”  
  
“You do because you never listen in class.” Says Wong in his perfect poker face.  
  
“That.” Says some random master who passes by.  
  
Strange can’t be too sure but he thinks that may have been the potions master. He might have slept through that class since he’s a doctor himself and not interested in Harry Potter magic.  
  
But surprisingly it’s the Ancient One who comes to his rescue. Except for not really, since he’s kind of in this position because of her.  
  
“Oh yes that.” She says not looking at him, instead focusing on whatever it is she’s looking at through the keyhole. Stars or galaxies, time and promises kept and then broken. Windows of reality so fragile that they will break at the flicker of a butterfly wing. The entire universe in the span of her hands.  
  
He does not envy her.  
  
“You might want to search up the Book of Everlasting Graveyard. It’s page 83, I believe.”  
  
“....Thank you.” Strange says, this time stopping to actually bow at her before straightening his robes again.  
  
When he turned back to close the door behind him. He can’t help but feel that she looks abnormally pale compared to her normal color, if that is even possible.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
“Straighten you back and lift your arms higher!” Mordo growls at him. “And for god’s sake open your eyes and actually look at my hands Strange. You can’t fight an enemy by critically reading their facial expression.”  
  
“Well excuse me for staring at your face when you have an expression that says you want to cruelly stab me to death.” Strange says after the fifth time Mordo had thrown him against the walls. At least he can be thankful that he’s not training outside today, in which he will not only be sore but also smell worse than a skunk.  
  
“Because I am.” Says Mordo and wow that sure helps with his case. “We are training for battle, Strange, not for fun.”  
  
“I can see that.” He signed, taking his time to get up and prepare a weapon, maybe this time he should try a lance, might give him a longer attack range. Or he might stab himself with it, you never know.  
  
“No you don’t.” Says Mordo. “You are one of the most talented student in both hand-to-hand combat and mage craft and you prefer to spend your time moping.” Okay maybe he won’t try a lance.  
  
“....Dude what’s your problem today? Cat ate your breakfast?”  
  
“I do not own a cat. Why would a cat eat my breakfast.”  
  
“Never mind.” He grimaced. “I’m ready.”  
  
“Good.” Says Mordo. Then he proceeds to jump in a circle and karate chop the back of his neck like they’re in some god damn movie. Strange barely manages to stop him by throwing his hands back and creating a shield backwards. Golden sparks fly where skin meets magic, he knows because he can feel the burning sparks against his back.  
  
“Not bad.” Mordo grunts before rising a leg and kicking both him and the shield at least five feet away, damn his boots of....whatever it’s called. Strange spins twice in midair before pushing against the ground with both his hands and legs. Using the momentum he propelled himself forward and straight through the shield Mordo summons to land a hard fist in his neck.  
  
“I know.” He says smugly.  
  
“Let’s see if you can keep it up.” In a second the man is up and in his face again, aiming an attack at his chest. Strange stops him by forcing him to guard his stomach with a lightning fast strike. Mordo answers by pulling a right hook to his face. Okay, okay he can do this, Strange thinks. First he’ll block this one with a crisscross then he can kick him again in the stomach. That should keep him down for a while.  
  
But of course it doesn’t go as he planned, what ever did. Halfway through Mordo pulls his fist back, instead dropping to swipe his legs out beneath him. “Stop thinking so much, Strange. It’s making you predictable.”  
  
Then he proceeds to add a stomp on his neck, probably just to get one back, the shit.  
  
“Gosh. Stop making it sound so easy.” He’s rolling on the floor a lot today.  
  
“But it is. At least it should be for you. You are an extremely fast learner and very very strong for someone who was a doctor.” Mordo says. “That will be all for today. Go and prepare yourself, the Ancient One has time for you tonight.” Finally.  
  
“You know,” Strange says. “It’s really kind of unfair that you have all those magic relics and I’m basically fighting barehanded.”  
  
“In a battle you must use everything at your disposal.” Mordo smirked. “I can use them because I’m ready and you’re not.”  
  
“When will I ever be?” Strange growled.  
  
“Soon. When you just came here you were almost mugged by some random thugs on the street. Now? You will send them all packing even if most of them are black belt karate masters. I believe that is growth.” Yes, him learning how to kick people’s ass (more like get his ass kicked) is going to be _so_ helpful getting a magic relic to like him. Why is this happening, Strange just wants to get his hand fixed.  
  
“Why do you guys all act this way?” He grunts out, cause his neck is still dying on him.  
  
“What way?” Asked Mordo.  
  
“I don’t know. Like you all expect me to suddenly master everything.” he says. “Which would be great if you guys always act like that. But half the time I’m getting told I should be better and the other half you’re telling me I should slow down. What’s that all about?”  
  
For a moment something almost seems to pass through Mordo’s eyes. But it’s gone so fast that Strange can’t exactly be sure. The dark skinned man sits down beside him. “Look Strange, somethings aren’t mine to tell.”  
  
“Well tell me what you can then.” Strange signed. Because he’s this close to just wringing the man’s neck, friend or not.  
  
“Just that.” Mordo stops for a moment, looking physically in pain for some reason. “Listen, when you turned up at our door and knocked seven month ago. The Ancient One....she had been, for lack of better words, shocked at your appearance.”  
  
She was? To Strange she just seemed really, really smug from wiping the floor with his brain. She probably does it all the time, like oh look, there goes another one with his view of the world destroyed “Well, yeah, I didn’t look my best at that time. Losing your career does that to a person.”  
  
“No, not shocked at your physical look. She couldn’t care less about that.” Why, thank you Mordo, for reminding him that his own teacher didn’t care shit about him.  
  
“What was she shocked about then?”  
  
The man remains silent for a moment “Time, Strange. She says the timing is off, way off.”  
  
“....Okay. What is that supposed to mean?” Can anyone do some straightforward talking around here. Over half a year stuck around this sanctorum he still doesn’t understand anyone. Much less this teacher of his that doesn’t even teach most of his courses. It’s like university all over again.  
  
“If you wish to know. Ask her yourself.” Says Mordo. “I have spoken too much already.”  
  
“You’ve spoken nothing!” Strange snarls, but Mordo has gotten up and is silently offering him a hand, signaling the end of this conversation.  
  
With a sign Strange grabs the hand and throws the man into the wall behind him.  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
“Okay, I’ve been thinking.” Strange says.  
  
“One must keep silent in the Library, have you no manner.” Wong answered in his weird accent.  
  
“Well, yes. But right now there’s no one other than you and me here.” Strange rebuked. “Anyway, I’ve been thinking. Why doesn’t the Ancient One train me herself in Martial Arts? I mean she can fight, right?”  
  
“Because,” Wong says “If she did, you will be a bloodstain on the floor and there will be nothing left to train as a sorcerer.”  
  
“Seriously?” Strange smirked at the man, he knows it’s a risky move, but he’s sort of out of options here. It’s either Wong or the Ancient One herself. He’s not looking forward to that. “Are you sure? Cause the most I’ve seen her move is when she waves that fan of hers.”  
  
“...You seemed to have forgotten who was it that first removed your Astral Body from you physical one.” Says Wong, now focuses on him. Of course he is, Strange just tried to badmouth the Sorcerer Supreme and this place is literally her fan base.  
  
“Yeah. About that.” He continuced. “It doesn’t actually mean anything. She removed my soul, she didn’t do anything to my body. I mean what really can she, a woman probably barely over 100 pounds and half a head shorter than me, actually do?”  
  
“....You underestimate me.” Says Wong. “I am a silent man, not stupid. However I am willing to be called stupid if you talk like that about the Ancient One one more time. I know what you want. Ask what you wish to ask, and then leave me alone. No tricks.”  
  
Yes, finally. Strange is lucky. If Wong had lasted just a bit he’d have probably curved himself and hid in his room for the remainder of his days in fear for his life.  
  
“See, isn’t this a lot easier, why can’t we all be like this?” Outward he says. “Okay first. What actually is this place, like how, it’s like Narnia behind a closet. Mordo told me something about the Ancient One saying me being off time, what does that even mean. Oh, and why am I the only person getting one-on-one with her? And she doesn’t even show up on time for half of them!”  
  
“That is not one question. It’s like five questions.” Wong replied looking....how Wong always looks, pokerfaced. “As for the answer to most of them, I don’t know, I’m the librarian.”  
  
Well, there goes Strange’s hope. “What do you know?”  
  
“...That you are off time, like Mordo said.” Wong tells him, grabbing an apple from his bag and holding it out before him. The apple is as red as blood, so red that Strange can’t be sure it’s not poisoned. “Time, Strange, has a separate rule of its own, complete with prizes and punishments. Don’t mess with time. And guess what you’re doing?”  
  
“Messing with time?” Strange says.  
  
“Yes.” Says Wong.  
  
“But how, I didn’t know a thing about magic until I came into this place. I was a doctor, like that’s as realistic a job as it gets.”  
  
“You exist, Strange. The Ancient One sees something in you. That’s all you need to care about.” Wong tells him, then proceeds to snatch the apple back from Strange’s outstretched hands and chomp on it himself. “As for why the Ancient One is late for half your class, she is a guardian of the world against other dimensional being, what do you think she is doing?”  
  
Strange knows a threat when he sees one, there will be no more answers from Wong today. Instead he quickly borrows the Book of Everlasting Graveyard (And it’s in Spanish, of course it is, God forbid anything be in English at this place) and leaves Wong to his sulking.  
  
To be honest, even know he hasn’t seen her yet today, Strange feels like he’s used up his ‘times he can bad mouth the Ancient One and get away with it limit’ already. Which is really bad since he’s still seeing her tonight.  
  
“Strange.” Says Wong when he’s at the library door.  
  
“What is it?” He turns.  
  
“It would do you good to treat her with more respect.” The man says. “Especially since she is treating you with plenty. More than you deserve, perhaps.”  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
She is late for their class again, as he expects of her. The lights in her room, white and yellow and green and blue glow in an eerie harmony, both warm and cold at the same time. There is a picture of a mountain on the wall, drawn with quick flicks of a paintbrush. Unknown ornaments covers windows and closet doors, giving the room an almost eternal feel. Strange cannot see it from where he stands, but he has a hunch her bedroom is just behind the left door.  
  
The clock is slowly ticking towards 9pm, with would mark her as officially 3 hours late. A new record. Strange is pretty sure the only reason he’s still waiting is because he’s too much of a scaredy-cat to yell at her about this tomorrow, so he’s going to have to do it now.  
  
Oh, and also because apparently the stairs had just been waxed and whoever did it prefers Strange doesn’t step on it. This has nothing to do with the weird sensation growing in his gut that says something is wrong. That she shouldn’t be taking this long. The same voice that is also yelling at him to go find and check on her. But, no Strange isn’t going to risk it because...because....god it’s almost like there’s someone else in his brain.  
  
The Ancient One doesn’t show up until around 11:30. In which he has finished reading all of the books in the ‘Do Not Read’ section of her bookshelf, and wow those books are amazing, much clearer than the ones he borrowed from the library, why can’t he just borrow those?  
  
“I see that you’ve improved greatly.” She says, shocking him out of the world of golden rainbows and for lack of better word, fairies. “But I’m afraid that book is just a fairytale.”  
  
“What?” Strange growls, feeling stupid enough that he doesn’t turn around right away. “How am I supposed to know what is real and what is false around here. Are all of those books here just fairytales? Why do you even have fairytales anyway?”  
  
“Sometimes I feel like reading before going to bed.” There is amusement in her voice and also something else that Strange can’t tell. “But don’t worry, most books there are real.”  
  
He turns around beginning to say something along the lines of “Well, yeah, thanks for telling me that when I started reading at 6pm. Where were you at that time?” When he notices it. The almost abnormal paleness leaching color from her already stark white skin. The way she is both leaning against the wall instead of standing straight and also in what can only be described as a battle outfit. “Hey....are you okay?”  
  
“Fine.” She says sounding exactly like how she always sounds. “Why wouldn’t I be?” And then proceeded to literally have her legs give out on her and crash to the ground in an undignified heap.  
  
“Oh my — oh my god!” He gasped, running over to her, almost tripping over his own foot in his haste. “Hey, hey are you okay? Never mind, stupid question. What’s the matter, where are you hurt?”  
  
For a moment the Ancient One almost seems to not recognize where she is, hand reaching out to grip the fabric on his elbow so hard that he can literally feel her cutting off blood circulation. Her eyes still remain wide open, staring unseeingly into space, yet there is still almost no expression on her face. She’s having an panic attack, Strange realizes.  
  
“Hey, hey.” He says, wrapping his free arm around her awkwardly. “Don’t...don’t do this to me, please don’t do this to me, don’t break down here. It’s going to be alright, okay? Do you hear me, it’s going to be alright.”  
  
He’s babbling, he knows he is. Repeating his own words again because seriously what is he supposed to say at a time like this? He should be used to this, he is used to this. Has seen hundreds if not thousands of patients broken down before him. But never in a lifetime did he expect her to breakdown.  
  
Somewhere at the back of his mind Strange had already labeled her as other worldly creature himself. Something that even know he is looking at every day, should really exist only in a legend. Maybe that’s why he keeps mental tabs on how many questions he asks her and how many times he can badmouth her each day. Yet, this — this moment, with her barely able to breath and him a fucking useless doctor, Strange is painfully reminded of the fact that she, too, is but a human.  
  
“Listen to me, teacher.” Strange tries again when she doesn’t react to his words. “You’re okay, you’re back in the Santorum. No one can harm you here, Wong and Mordo and the others are just down the stairs. I can go get them for you, would you like that? I can do it, as soon as you start breathing—“  
  
She doesn’t, of course she doesn’t, when has she ever trusted him. And seriously he’s starting to lose feeling in his hand. Slowly Strange curves his other arm, the around her slim form to pull her into his embrace. Rubbing smooth circles into her back like how Christine used to do for him when he was too fucked up to even move on his own.  
  
“....Deep breath, okay? Can you feel me breathing? Just...just follow that. Let’s try it, in....out. In....out.”  
  
She doesn’t come back right away, even know Strange almost expects her to get up any moment now and act like nothing has gone wrong. Instead it’s the small things, eyes blinking every now and then, still glassy and dull. Hands opening slowly, body softening to actually lean against him.  
  
All through he carefully repeats his command. “In....out....in.....out.”  
  
It’s nearly half an hour of her lying in his arms, barely breathing, cold as a corpse before she actually seems to stir. Slowly removing herself from his numb legs. He keeps an arm carefully around her just to make sure she doesn’t topple over at any moment.  
  
“...Thank you. Doctor.” She says, voice still faint, eyes focused on a point in the distance. “My apologies for bothering you so.”  
  
“Don’t mention it.” He grunts, suddenly filled with awkwardness, rubbing his free hand against his beard. “Do you...do you want to talk about that?”  
  
For a long agonizing moment in which she turns to stare at him there is absolute silence, or at least he thinks she’s staring at him. For some reason Strange can’t help but feel that her eyes are actually focused at a point above his chest.  
  
“Strange.” She finally says. “What brings you to my room at this time of the day?”  
  
....And of course she ignores his question. If this was an actual hospital, she would be one of those level 5 hard to treat patients. “We were supposed to have class like, six hours ago.”  
  
“Oh.” She says, and lapses into silence again, seemingly lost in thought.  
  
“Hey,” Strange says, for once not feeling like pressuring her. But he must do what he must do. Gently he reaches a hand out to rub against her neck in a smoothing gesture. “Who did this to you? Who could do this to you? Do I, are we supposed to be worried? Should I ring the alarm?”  
  
At the word alarm she visibly makes an effort to pull herself back together and shit now he feels really bad. “No, Stephen, this is no need to do so. I have already eradicated the problem, and to be honest, it isn’t even my problem. You have my apologies for making you wait, we may start class now if you still feel up to it.”  
  
....What is she talking about?  
  
“Start class?” Dr. Strange growled. “Ancient One, with all due respect, you just had an anxiety attack that I still can’t find the reason to because you never tell me anything. An anxiety attack that lasted almost an entire hour. And now you’re asking me if I want to start—“  
  
Wait a minute.  
  
We may start class if you still feel up to it.  
  
When did she ask ever ask him what he feels like. It’s always “Stephen do this, Stephen do that.” Or “you look fine to me.” Could this be, Strange thinks, in a bit of a daze himself, is this her way of asking him if she can call off the class today? Because if it is, they sure have a sad, sad relationship that she doesn’t feel like she can just tell him she’s too sick to teach.  
  
“....I mean yes. If you don’t mind. It is kind of late right now.” He says instead.  
  
“Very well. Mister Strange.” She says, in the same tone she always uses when speaking to him. Strange cannot determine anything from her voice. “You may leave now. I will make time for another class tomorrow.” And what is wrong with her？  
  
“Leave?” Strange growled. “I’ll not leaving you on your own after you just had a literal panic attack. Come on, we’re getting you into bed.”  
  
Almost harshly, he grabs her hand and pulls the Ancient One to her feet, wrapping an arm around her to help keep her balance. He meets no resistance when he guides her into her room and onto the bed, but he thinks it’s because she’s clearly thinking about something else than focusing on chiding him about disrespect.  
  
There is an awkward moment after she has laid down in which Strange realizes that he’s literally told her he wants to stay in her room the whole night to...do what? Tell her a bed time story if she wakes up? Fight whoever may come in and murder them in their sleep? He seriously doubt he’ll survive whatever can defeat her.  
  
“And yet,” the Ancient One says. “You tell Wong that you have no trust in my combat abilities.”  
  
“....That was a joke” Strange begins to say before suddenly choking on midair “Wait, Wong told on me again?”  
  
“Well, I am the Master of this place.” She says, back to (thankfully) sounding faintly amused. And he isn’t even going to ask if she read his mind to get what he’s been thinking about. He doesn’t want to know the answer.  
  
“No Strange, I did not read you mind.” Holy shit, she can read minds. Why didn’t he notice earlier that she can read minds.  
  
“I simply read your expression, really, anyone can do it.” Is her answer, “As for staying the night. I would prefer that you do not. But, if It appeases you, you may use the couch outside. It should be big enough for you.”  
  
“....Right, I’ll do that.” Strange says, straight forward ignoring the part about ‘I would prefer that you do not’. He’s a doctor, god dammit. “Do you....do you feel up to answering a few questions? They won’t be long.”  
  
“Ask away, Mister Strange.”  
  
“Doctor.” He says, but it lacks bite. “What were you doing today taking this long? I heard from Master Kari that you had to clean up some small mess, that it’ll take you maybe an hour. But then this?”  
  
“Master Kari spoke the truth.” She says, “I was simply cleaning up the run away from a battle with has not yet begun.”  
  
Whatever that’s supposed to mean.  
  
“What kept me this long was the process of having all possibilities you see in the future five years come tumbling before your eyes. I had to, build new pathways, I suppose you can say. But I do not believe this is what you really want to ask, Stephen.” She tells him.  
  
“.....I am currently more worried about the all possibilities tumbling down part. Sounds kind of like the end of the world.”  
  
The Ancient One gives him a look.  
  
“Fine, fine. I’ll get on with it.” Strange signed. “When I was training today, someone told me something about myself and time. How apparently we don’t like each other. What is that supposed to mean?”  
  
“Ah, So Mordo told you.”  
  
“Wong actually, Mordo was useless.”  
  
“Time.” She says, after giving him a disapproving glance. “Is the key to the multiverse. There are those without time, but that is not one of us. The moment you make a choice it becomes its separate path. Each path branches off to a separate reality. That path will never be erased and changing the past does not change the future. It creates a different one. Which is why, Strange, one must not mess with the fabrics of time, great consequences can arise if you do so.”  
  
“Well yeah.” Says Strange “no one can change the past. What does this have to do with me?”  
  
“In a few years you will know, Stephen.” She tells him.  
  
“A few years? This talk again?” He growled ”Why are you like this, can we not talk in present tense? No, it’s always five years too early, or 2 years later, now we have what? In few years? Not even a number?”  
  
“I do not give you a number.” The Ancient One cuts him off, voice slicing through his like a knife through butter. “Because I cannot see it myself. I simply made a choice, and that choice led to a possibility.”  
  
“.....Oh.” Strange deflates. “So there are thing you do not know as well.”  
  
“I am not a god.”  
  
Right. He noticed that, painfully so.  
  
“You said you made a choice, what choice?” He asked gently, or as gentle as he can.  
  
“To trust.” Says the Ancient One. “Trust in the future and accept the new one. Trust in the choice.....he made. However different it may be.”  
  
“Well....that’s sort of life isn’t it? You don’t know how things are supposed to go but you’re rolling with it cause you have no choice?” Strange grunts. “But anyway, when you said trust, who are you talking about? Who is _he_? When did you—“  
  
“Stephen,” The Ancient One stops him. “I am tired. There will be no more questions for today.”  
  
Oh this is how they’re doing it tonight. Dr. Strange really wants to try shaking her, and with how bad she looks right now he might even succeed. But no, because she looks really bad right now and she is still his teacher. He has a responsibility to take care of her.  
  
“Alright Ancient One. Goodnight.” He gets up and bows. Leaving her to her thoughts where no one else other than her has probably set foot in for years.  
  
“Strange.” She suddenly says when he’s done closing the light, but does not turn to look at him. “The Sorcerer Supremes job is to guard the Time Stone with their life, do you understand?”  
  
“The Time Stone?” Strange asked. “What is that supposed to be?”  
  
“Do you understand?”  
  
Clearly she isn’t going to rest until he does, but she doesn’t seem interested in explaining what the Time Stone is either. “Yes, Ancient One.”  
  
She takes a deep breath. “Thank you, Mister Strange, You may leave now.”  
  
He doesn’t.  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

—Listen to me. Listen to me, you must—  
  
“Oh dear.” Christine is laughing that laugh she always does when he’s done something he knows is stupid just to please her. “Stephen, you can cook better than this, what is this?”  
  
“Coco-cola chicken.” He says. Smirks really, because looks doesn’t mean everything, he’s tried already, and this is one mean chicken. “Apparently it’s pretty famous in China.”  
  
“Hummm.” She smiled leaning upward to rub her face against his neck. “What’s the occasion.”  
  
“Oh come on, can’t I just be a nice person.” He grins, wrapping his hands around her shoulders and pulling her in.  
  
“Uh huh.” She says. “I know you better than that, spill!”  
  
“Okay okay, I got myself transferred over to where you’re working.” He says. Except for not really, there was a patient who had a serious enough problem that they had to call him over from like half way across the country to New York, then they offered him a spot to stay. But hey, it’s a good chance to be near his girlfriend so why not. It’s not like Strange really cares about where he works as long as it’s clean and lets him save people.  
  
“You what?” Christine says, looking absolutely delighted. See, hiding something is a good choice, she doesn’t need to know.  
  
—No, not here, focus Strange, move along. Further.—  
  
He is standing at the top of the tower staring out to catch the last of the sunset. The clouds are reflected a beautiful red and gold as seagulls fly past.  
  
“Dr. Strange.” Nick says. “Your break time is over.”  
  
“Oh come on, Nick. Just a few more moments, what harm can it be?” He doesn’t turn around, instead breathing in a deep breath of cold air. There. Much more awake now.  
  
“But you have an appointment coming up.” Nick says sounding absolutely frustrated with him.  
  
“27 year old man with a cold.” Strange answers back. “Thinks he has broken bones but actually no, he just over did it a little during exercise. He’s here for a checkup, nothing major.”  
  
“It doesn’t work that way, Dr. Strange.”  
  
—Oh my god, why was I so difficult, why? I said move it!—  
  
He is driving in the car, music opened at full blast, loud enough to cause harm to ears if he’s using earphones. The light before him turns yellow, he slows down.  
  
The road is abnormally dark tonight, but he is all alone so there is no one to tell him to tone it down. It’s not like something bad can happen from him listening to music.  
  
—That’s better. Go further. Seven month further. Seriously, why was I such a stupid idiot back then?—  
  
“Wait,” Dr. Strange said. “Who said that?”  
  
—You can hear me?—  
  
“Yes, Who the hell is this.” He growled, crashing his foot against the brakes and rushing past the red light. Because this is an empty road and he is the only living person in sight. Wait why is this an empty road? This is New York, New York is never empty.  
  
—Because this is a memory, and you didn’t bother to remember any faces of course. Now move on. We don’t have all day.—  
  
“We?” Says Doctor Strange. “There is no we, you appear this moment or I’ll call the police.”  
  
—Yeah like that ever did any good.—  
  
“What the hell is your problem!”  
  
—....Hey.  
  
“Oh my god you hacked my car didn’t you. Do you know how much this baby is worth?”  
  
—Hey.  
  
“Of course not. You guys probably don’t even care. I’m calling the police.”  
  
—Hey, look in Front!  
  
What?  
  
That’s the last thing Strange manages to think before he’s literally thrown against the back seat, straps tearing out of its hinge, air-bags completely useless as his car toppled against the mountain edge, rolling and scraping wickedly against the railway before crashing all the way down.  
  
—Well fuck.  
  
Fuck. Strange thinks.  
  
He is in the water. And for some reason there is a green light in front of him (the Time Stone, his mind supplies to him, and how does he know that?), and he reaches his hand forward to grasp it. Time holds no meaning at this moment, he thinks. Being in water is almost like being in space, he thinks.  
  
Another hand reaches forward to grab the stone before him, and he is looking at....is that himself?  
  
The man looking exactly like him except for a red cape and blue robes is staring at the stone in his hands.  
  
“This isn’t how it’s supposed to happen.” He says. “We’re supposed to land on the same day Loki did.”  
  
“What?” Strange wants to say, but the moment he opens his mouth water is pouring in.  
  
“What do you think? Stop thinking about yourself.” Not-him says. “And actually look around you, stop asking. Act! Discover! Learn! You have the time.”  
  
Dimly, he can hear the car exploding beneath him, and god, he’s still halfway stuck inside!  
  
“Look at her!”  
  
Her? Who’s her? In his fear he reaches forward to grab onto not-hims coat. And the moment he does, the entire world comes apart.  
  
_What are you, in this vast multiverse, Mister Strange?_  
  
There is a woman, pale skin, tall, eyes both as cold as ice and as warm as the sun, kind yet merciless. Then there is a building with unknown symbols scribbled across.  
  
_Surrender_. The woman says. But he doesn’t want to, he refuses to surrender, why would he surrender.  
  
What is he surrendering against?  
  
He is sinking again and there is no oxygen in his lungs.  
  
—....Fine.—  
  
—Fine, I had other plans. But this is going to have to work.—  
  
—It would seem I underestimated myself.—  
  
—Listen to me. You must look for her and you must find her. Let go of that stupid useless pride of yours and you must learn.—  
  
What are you talking about. Strange says. Thinks.  
  
—You have the time that I never had. The possibility that I never faced. Countless possibilities.—  
  
—She will not act, only search and wait. So you must go to her. I had, I had a choice.—  
  
—And yet.—  
  
—There was no time, so she pulled on my hand, pushed behind my back, cuts off my escape path and forced me into the wind.—  
  
—If only, if only I can go back to that day. That very first day.—  
  
—I would do it all over again.—  
  
—But there was no explanation, no way to make her understand. To her, we exist in only two positions, far beneath her, a student seeking her protection and guidance, or the Sorcerer Supreme meant to be the best of the best.—  
  
—She never did see us eye to eye.—  
  
He is at the hospital, there are noises around him, other people. Yet they are slow and unresponsive, as if he alone still breathes.  
  
“Where?” Strange says, gasps. “I was drowning, dying.”  
  
—You are drowning still. But that does not matter. Look.—  
  
He wants to ask how does him drowning not matter, but there is a body on the surgery table, a person.  
  
—Look.—  
  
He reaches him hand to lift the covers and blood immediately covers his fingertips.  
  
—You must stop this. It is the only way. Please. I beg you, for all the others who died in this fucked up war and for us. Please save her.—  
  
.....And Doctor Strange wakes up.  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
“Oh my god.” He says back nearly killing him. “Why in the world was I lying on the floor?”  
  
Why did he trust her when she said the couch is big enough for him? Long enough maybe, but he could barely turn around without falling off the side.  
  
“Why, because you rolled of halfway during the night. I heard you.” Ms. Obvious says in amusement. Hell, he basically acted as her maid today, bringing her her shoes, cooked her breakfast, now he’s boiling her tea too. The least she can do is not laugh at him. “It sounds quite similar to when Mordo accidentally dropped my new closet down the top of the stairs actually.”  
  
“Mordo did what?” Strange choked, displeasure forgotten. “That is so not him.”  
  
“Well, he was learning levitation and seems to have forgotten that a closet weights a lot more than a person.”  
  
“....I’m never going to let that down.” Strange snorts.  
  
She gives him a faint look of disapproval but returns to leaning against the large sofa, waiting for the tea to boil.  
  
“Your dream.” She says. “What did you see?”  
  
“....I had a dream?”  
  
She turns and looks at him, something flickering through her features like light of a candle. “....I see.”  
  
“What do you see? Never mind, don’t answer that. I know I know, all in due time right.” Strange signed, for some reason no longer feeling up to having a fight with her. Instead he carefully stares at her, looking her up and down. “You seem better. How are you feeling.”  
  
“Fine, Stephen. I was neither sick nor wounded.” She says, nodding at him. “My apologies about last night. I was not myself, it will not happen again.”  
  
“You don’t get to decide that.” Strange signed. “....No need to ask, I’ll keep this a secret. Patients.....you know what I mean. But next time something like this happens, I want to know.”  
  
She almost seems to consider telling him no. “If you don’t I’ll go out yelling to world that the mighty Ancient One had a panic attack and freaked out in my arms like some fair maiden.”  
  
For the first time in the seven months he’s been here, an expression akin to surprise flies over her features. For some reason it does not give him the satisfaction he expects. “Forget about it. Sorry, that was mean of me. But I’m serious when I said I want you to tell me.”  
  
She is staring at him, staring at him hard and Strange is about this close from hiding his face behind his hands, her gaze is that scary.  
  
“Very well.” She finally says and he lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.  
  
“Wow. I feel so accomplished. Getting you to apologize and agree to something I said all in one day? This has got to be my lucky day.” Strange grins. This is good, he can work with this, why didn’t he just try and talk to her normally like this before? Here, at this moment, the two of them in the morning and her emerald eyes gleaming faintly. He can almost believe this is just a normal day at work and she’s just a normal teacher.  
  
“Oh I wouldn’t count on it, I’m afraid.” The Ancient One says however, shaking her head fondly.  
  
Strange frowned, about to ask her what’s wrong. But at that exact moment a humongous green beast crashes straight through their roof, slamming diagonally across the floor and sending his fresh boiled tea into the air.  
  
“What the fuck!” Strange snarled, jumping up from his seat and landing in a prepare-for-combat form.  
  
“As I said.” The Ancient One says. “Don’t count on it.” And seriously this is not the time to be sarcastic!  
  
“Hulk Smash!!!” The green creature roared, getting up looking pissed off and completely unharmed. And what is wrong with Stranges life!  
  
He reaches his hand towards to Ancient One, to shield her or pull her behind him or something. Instead his hand catches air and he is forced to watch her walk absolutely calmly towards the monster. What is she doing! That thing is over twice her size!  
  
In one fluent movement, she smacks the creature in his chest and sends him flying across the room and into the wall. The soul of a gray haired man rolls out across the floor.  
  
.....Never mind.  
  
“Now,” She says. “This is kind of getting old, but let’s do it again.”  
  
“....Holy.” Strange gasped like a dying fish. “I am so sorry, Ancient One. I will never doubt your abilities ever again, please don’t let me die a horrible death like that.”  
  
“You underestimate yourself.” Says his teacher.  
  
“What?” Says the man.  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
“We am so sorry for destroying your house.” Apologized fucking Captain America. “God, we didn’t mean to have the Hulk come in this direction.”  
  
“Don’t sweat it.” Says Ironman “I’ll pay for it. I’m Tony Stark by the way. That really cool guy flying around in an suit of armor? Yup, that’s me. We’ll get this place as good as new as soon as we finish bashing in the aliens.”  
  
“You will touch nothing until we say you can Tony Stark. And I know who you are.” Dr. Strange growled, eyes cold and voice brittle enough to cut. “I give you all three minute to explain what brings you here. Or I will physically remove your person.”  
  
“You can try.” Says the large blond haired man with a cape, idly swinging around a large hammer. He is smiling, but Strange can tell he is absolutely serious as well. “We’ll see who removes who first.”  
  
“Thor, please.” The Captain grunts “We just broke this person’s house, he’s got a right to be angry.”  
  
“This is not his house.” Says Wong. “This is the New York Sanctorum. If anything, it is the house of the Ancient One.” Wow, thank you Wong, we really needed that.  
  
“The who?” Says the man who introduced himself as Hawkeye.  
  
“That is a really, really ego filled name.” Says Stark.  
  
“This tea is amazing.” Says the Black Widow.  
  
“Of course it is, that’s my teachers tea! Put it down!” Strange snarled. “.....Also because it has honey in it.”  
   
Stark actually has the nerve to laugh at him, the piece of shit.  
  
“Hey, this is all really good and all,” The Captain finally cuts in (what is about this is good?) “But please, Dr. Strange is it. Can we just all sit down and have a chat instead of pointing weapons at each other? Also can we have our friend back?”  
  
“Oh you mean we weren’t doing that?” Asked Ironman.  
  
“....Tony please, put down your tank missile. Thor, stop swinging your hammer, Hawkeye I really don’t think arrows are going to help right now and Nat, don’t drink someone’s tea if they didn’t tell you it’s okay!” Finally, a person who can actually think.  
  
Also, finally someone who’s willing to talk about this awkward position they are in.  
  
Strange keeps both of his hands up, golden hollow glowing. Wong has a staff this time, and Mordo is....probably by the Ancient Ones door. Sometimes Strange feels like his number one loyalty is to her, not the Sanctorum. Neither sides make a move and the air is frostier than his popsicle.  
  
“Yeah no.” Says Stark. “Not until they return Bruce.”  
  
“We will return him when the Ancient One says he may be returned, not before, not after.” Says Wong.  
  
“That.” Strange grunts.  
  
“What are you, this Ancient One’s puppet? You can make your own decisions.” Stark growled. “Seriously, why haven’t the Hulk just smashed his way out already?”  
  
“Because my teacher defeated him.” Says Strange.  
  
There is a moment of collective silent.  
  
“Your teacher what?” Hawkeye coughs out. Even the Black Widow looks a little surprised at this.  
  
“Fascinating. I would like to fight this teacher of yours.” The large blondie, Thor, says. He looks extremely excited for some reason.  
  
“Okay, this clearly isn’t going to work.” Tony Stark tells them and seriously this man doesn’t have the right to say those lines, seeing as he was the man who crashed in through the front door in fucking armor. If not for him, Strange would be with the Ancient One, making sure she’s okay instead of here doing intense eye murder. “Give back my friend Mr.Goatie, and then we can talk.”  
  
“....He’s got a point.” Steve grudgingly admits.  
  
“If it is a fight you are looking for, you will find that we Sorcerers are more than capable of whooping your ass.” Strange growled, for once serious. Hell, he hasn’t been training for seven month for nothing, some of his clothes no longer even fit due to the new muscles he has acquired.  
  
One of his light hollows flicker out.  
  
This is a moment of silence in which everyone stops what they are doing to look at him. Even the Captain seems to be forcing himself to not speak out. A few sparks flicker across the shitty hand that failed him (again).  
  
“....Strange, you are at least three month from actually being ready to go on the battlefield.” Says Wong.  
  
Tony Stark makes a weird strangling sound in his neck.  
  
“Don’t you dare!” Strange growled.  
  
“Bwahahahaha!” The man breaks down laughing, rolling across the floor clutching his stomach. And fuck this shit, Strange was actually feeling pretty good about himself just now!  
  
“Don’t be sad.” Wong says seriously. “Most people need at least another two year before they can prepare for battle. You are already very fast. As expected of her student.”  
  
“Wong, not helping. Please just shut up.” Strange signed. Thor actually lowers his weapon and comes over to pat him sympathetically on the shoulder. “Don’t worry little mage, I know what it’s like to have your weapon fail you.”  
  
“So um, am I interrupting anything?”  
  
Strange turns along with the rest of the people, never so thankful for a person he barely knows. The grey haired man is standing at the top of the stairs, guarded by Mordo. Strange isn’t sure where the beast went to.  
  
“Bruce!” Stark yelped. “Good to see you alive buddy.”  


“Welcome back.” Says the Captain.

  
“....Sorry it took so long” The man, Bruce, smiled shyly. “I’m alright. Nothing happened, we just had a chat, oh, and drank some tea together. It’s good tea by the way.”  
  
“It’s true.” Says the Widow.  
  
“Of course nothing happened!” Strange snarled. “What did you expect, the Ancient One doesn’t have time to deal with all this shit.”  
  
“Wow wow, chill it man.” Ironman answered him “Kay, I was a little out of the line. But no harm done, right?”  
  
“Your teacher is a very wise person.” Bruce tells him, nervously rubbing his palm together. “Very beautiful too, in a regal and elegant way. Please give her my thanks. She cleared up many things for me.”  
  
“....That she is.” Strange grunts, but for some reason feeling like he likes the man a little more.  
  
“Wait, you mean you had a hot chick who teaches you magic up the stairs?” Tony Stark interrupts them. “Darn, Hey Bruce, not fair. Why did you get to talk to the chick while we had to deal with Mr.Grumpy here. I want to see the chick too!”  
  
“Oh my god Tony, she’s not like that!” Says Bruce the exact moment Strange has finally had it. He grabs Tony Stark against the surprised shout of various members and throws the man, both person and armor across the room and into the wall. Physically, without using magic  
  
“Aw, what the fuck!” Ironman yelped, a beautiful picture on the wall. “I thought you were a mage? What are you doing with a physical attack man?”  
  
Huh, well what do you know? Mordo was correct, he is a lot stronger.  
  
“Okay.” Steve Roger raises his hand like they’re all kindergarten kids (maybe to him they are, being probably 90 years old if the books are correct.) “Okay, now, can we all sit down and actually talk about this like grownups?”  
  
“....I’m already sitting down.” The Widow smirks.  
  
For some reason Wong looks at him for an answer.  
  
“Fine,” Dr. Strange says. “Let’s talk then.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “No, no no no! God, Ancient One No!” He snarled, hitting his head on the table.
> 
> “Ancient One Yes.” Wong says almost smugly and that marks the end of the conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a thought that Dr. Strange is just really really bad on reading eye signals. Like you're supposed to feel something when your really good friends give you a look. But Strange doesn't, he just kind of feels like he's missing out on something and that pisses him off.

There was once, back when Dr. Strange just came here looking like a caveman, when he did not understand just what the weird looking pots and pans all around the Sanctorum are. In fact, the only reason he left them alone instead of ranking his uncooperative fingers across them in frustration is because the Ancient One forced him to kneel in front of the kitchen for a whole day. Without giving him any food.  
  
Now he looks at them and see priceless artifacts.  
  
“Hey,” Says Tony Stark “Do you guys have a television here, cause I’m feeling like a movie.” He then proceeds to put his foot on the Brazier of Bom’Galiath and oh fuck this shit Strange is going to cut his leg off with his hollow.  
  
“Tony, this isn’t time for a movie.” Says the Captain, looking worn out.  
  
“To be honest I feel like we shouldn’t even be talking right now. War raging outside, anybody?” The Widow signed, but then immediately contradicts herself by grabbing his muffin.  
  
“Children please,” The Hawk says. “So who wants to start this?”  
  
There is a moment of silence where everyone does awkward eye pointing, and of course they all look at Strange again. Where is the Ancient One? He isn’t equipped with the talking abilities needed to deal with this shit. His daily speech for the past seven month includes only magic mumble-jumble, Wong’s few syllable answer, Mordo’s hate speech and the Ancient One talking in riddles. In fact he’ll take those over talking to the Avengers any day.  
  
Strange makes a coughing sound and rubs his hands together. “Okay first, Stark you are very much going to pay for the damage you guys did, but you are going to pay, not touch anything. Just mail us the money and we’ll do the rest ourselves.”  
  
“Oh come on!” Starks whines. “Look at this place! Look at it! It’s got moving rooms and light sabers and flying broomstick! You can’t expect me to not come over! Plus, you’ve got a chick upstairs that has Bruce interested, who apparently defeated the Hulk, that’s something man!”  
  
“Oh my god Tony, I’m not interested in her.” Says Bruce, looking weirdly kind of green. “Also does anyone want to check on Steve’s mental state?”  
  
“Call my teacher a chick one more time I dare you.” Says Strange. Talking about the Ancient One like she’s after school gossip is giving him the creeps. “What part of personal space and property do you not understand. And what? Are you more interested in the house itself or the lady up above?”  
  
“The lady.” Says Thor, rolling his huge muscles in excitement.  
  
“It’s definitely the lady.” Says Hawkeye. “Where is she anyway? I know we aren’t exactly guests, but shouldn’t the house owner at least come down and introduce herself? You guys are literally trying to hold us hostage using tea and muffins.”  
  
Good question, Strange is thinking about that himself.  
  
“If she doesn’t feel like talking to us, leave her alone. Thank you Bruce, I’m coping.... somewhat.” The Captain answered instead. “Mr. Strange is it? Again, our deepest apologies for ruining the Sanctorum. But as you see, New York is being overrun with Chitauri right now. We would appreciate it if you let us go for now.”  
  
“Doctor Strange.”  
  
“You know we can just bust ourselves out of this place right?” Stark says.  
  
“In which you guys will find yourselves somewhere on the back side of the moon. This place makes less sense than Alice in Wonderland.” Strange says. “I hope you guys all have oxygen tanks.”  
  
“Are you buffing? Cause I feel like you’re buffing.” Stark choked, but dutifully sits down again. “By the way, of course I have oxygen tanks, it’s mainly you guys who’s the problem. Just to be clear.”  
  
“That does not bother me. I have no need for this oxygen you weak mortals breath.” Says Thor. “My brother awaits me somewhere out there.”  
  
“That would explain why my compass isn’t working.” Natasha says, and what the hell is she doing with a compass?  
  
Also Strange actually has no idea whether he’s buffing or not, it really depends on how the magic relics are feeling today.  
  
“...Anyway, back to the Captains question.” He grunts uncooperatively. “Ah Chitauri is it. Now that you remind me, Wang did say something like two days ago about inter dimensional beings of immense power coming through the portal of space. Something about them being lead by the God of Mischief, no?”  
  
“Yes, That is thy younger brother, Loki. I wish is to capture him and take him home so we may be a family again.” Thor says, sounding both more sad and serious than Strange believed possible, even as Bruce exclaimed a surprised “Wait, you knew they were going attack and who’s going to attack days ago?”  
  
“Yes. Of course.” Strange says, except for actually no. He left less than half way through because he didn’t want to get caught up in this shit, even know the Ancient One warned him that—  
  
Oh.  
  
_Oh.  
_  
This was what she was talking about when she told him it might be useful information in the near future. Can’t she just say that dammit?  
  
“Wow thanks for giving us a heads up, Goatee. Could have saved a lot of lives you know.” Tony grumbled sarcastically.  
  
Goatee? Seriously this man has the least right to call him that.  
  
“....It is not mine or Wong’s position to decide who or what we tell those things to ” Strange grunts, feeling weirdly like he needs to explain this thing. “Also because I don’t actually know more than what I just told you. But I do know this, since the Ancient One is not on the roof top, I dare say nothing big is happening right now. But like Wong said, I’m a student in training.”  
  
“You sure don’t act like one.” Hawkeye snorts.  
  
“Who’s Wong?” Natasha asked after hitting him on the shoulder.  
  
“The librarian.” Strange answered. “Also the guy who was pointing at you all with a fucking sword.”  
  
“That was the fucking Librarian?” Starks says. “That is so awesome, I’m going to be best pals with him.”  
  
“Well, I suppose this would make explaining things easier at least.” The Captain intercepted Ironman with a frown on his face, clearly not too happy with his answer but too polite to voice it. “Since you seem very sure that nothing is happening right now, I’ll see if I can make things a little clearer for you. Not that I feel like you really need it.”  
  
“Please.” Strange signed. “I’m the only person in this entire Sanctorum who apparently can’t see the future.”  
  
“About two days ago.” The Captain begins after giving him a look. “Loki, Thor’s brother, landed on earth in Shield property. He claimed that he wishes to take over this world and brainwashed one of Shield’s scientists along with Clint. He managed to escape the mind control and return to warn us, but the scientist is still under and Loki has the tesseract.”  
  
“Also he kicked me out of a window, mine to be exact, which is rude okay man?” Stark growled beside him. “Guys got a really sexy costume thou. Kinky, those horns, I can think up like seven different plays with them right now.”  
  
What the fuck?  
  
“Man of Iron, cease your dirty thoughts on my brother or I will smash them out of your brain.” Thor growled.  
  
“If I was a normal human being and you tried explaining things how you just did I’ll call 911 on you. Also Tesseract?” Strange grunts, stopping an all out hissing contest. Something about that part of the story, mainly Hawkeye sounds off, but that’s not exactly his to decide.  
  
“A weapon that used to belong to our father.” Thor explained. “It was in his treasure room until it was stolen and somehow landed on earth. It is in fact one of the six infinity stones, a weapon of immense power. If Loki uses it correctly, which I believe he will, my brother is a very intelligent man, then he will open the portal to space and allow all creatures on the other side to pass through.”  
  
There is a crash behind them before Strange can reply. He turns around to see Mordo standing in a pile of perfectly fine cookies.  
  
“What?” The man says. “Another one?”  
  
“Mordo? What’s the matter?” Strange asked.  
  
“The cookies!” Stark gasped.  
  
But the large man seems to not be focused on Tony Stark sitting in their living room, instead he gives Strange a quick glance, and _no he does not get what that glance means speak English please_ before straightening up. “My apologies, my hands slipped. I’ll go get a broom right now.”  
  
“Alright you do that.” Dr. Strange answered in confusion while the Captain asked a quick “Are you alright sir?”  
  
There is some shuffling in between where Stark pulls out a little fly looking machine that flies over to the cookies before turning into what Strange can only describe as a garbage can tiger and starts chomping on the food. Mordo immediately pulls out his whip and smashes the creatures head off because “Alien invasion!” Strange can’t be sure, but Mordo might have done that on purpose, seeing as he is one of the few still linked up to the modern world and not living in the dark ages. Then the man proceeds to leave while pulling the entire tiger ass behind him.  
  
“—Who are you going to?” The Widow asked. And there is almost something in her voice that matches up to how the Ancient One talks.  
  
“What?” Mordo says, clearly hearing it as well. “Oh....I’m just going to the garbage can.”  
  
“The Stone.” She says, eyes hard as flint. “That’s what you were talking about when you said another one right? What do you know about the stone?”  
  
“I don’t know what you are talking about.” Says Mordo while Hawkeye grunts out a quite “Nat?”  
  
The two of them shares a quick look between them before Hawkeye nods lightly. And what is Strange missing?  
  
“Hmmm.” Natasha leans backwards, straightening her impressive figure and allowing tight black jacket to rub against beautiful smooth skin. The Widow flicks a hand through her red hair, exposing her slender neck. Her hands slowly travels back down to her lap, almost forcing Strange to look over, and god, that is one beautiful woman who knows her own skill set.  
  
“Really?” She asked coyly, almost purring.  
  
Mordo doesn’t miss a beat. “Yes.”  
  
“ _Where_ are you going, then?” Natasha continued.  
  
“Like I said, to throw the garbage.”  
  
“I am extremely offended by that but I am also in a little shock so I’ll let that one slide.” Says Stark. “Also, that tiger is worth more than you can make in a year.”  
  
Both parties ignores him in favour of doing intense eye fuck or something. Hell, the tension is thick enough right now that you can probably cut the air with a knife.  
  
Finally the Widow gives a tight lipped smile. “Well, can’t keep you from your duties, right sir?”  
  
“....I will see you all later.” Mordo says instead of answering, before bowing and exiting the room much faster than when he entered it. Shit, now he’s left Strange in a room full of weirdos on his own again, dammit Mordo, that’s not what friends do!  
  
“....Nat,what was that about?” Asked Bruce, and really Strange would be asking too, if he wasn’t vaguely freaked out by her.  
  
“Nothing.” She says, acting like this is just afternoon tea for her.  
  
There is an awkward silence in which everyone knows something is going on (she’s probably letting them know) but no one knows how to ask her out.  
  
“Okay...where was I.” Steve Roger finally signed. “Right, the tesseract. We managed to capture him after he appeared in Germany and forced the people there to kneel. But he escaped after killing one of our....friends.”  
  
“Sounds like you shouldn’t have let that friend guard him if he might be killed doing so.”  
  
“That is both so naive and makes so much sense that I don’t know how to answer that.” Says Stark.  
  
“I know. It’s....it’s my fault, I should have done something.” Steve says, shoulders weighted downwards. A man who feels the pain of death no matter how many times it occurs in front of him.  
  
“None of it is your fault Steve.” Natasha says, she looks like she wants to say more, but she doesn’t, instead turning to look at Thor through the side of her eyes.  
  
“Yes it is.” Strange says, and god he should shut up, that’s Captain America standing there. “If you had a feeling and you could have acted on that feeling but you don’t. Well guess what? It’s your fault.”  
  
Surprisingly it’s Stark who answered. Strange doesn’t know what triggered the guy, but clearly he’s pissed. One second he’s leaning against the comfy chair, next he’s up with vines bulging“Yes thank you for that very useful input Mr. I knew aliens were going to invade and I said nothing.”  
  
Strange opens his mouth to retort something, anything. But nothing comes out of his mouth.  
  
“What’s wrong, cat got your tone?” Stark says.  
  
“...I do not have a cat, why would a cat have my tone.” Says Strange and Stark snorts so hard he actually chokes.  
  
“Seriously man?” He says. “Don’t pull this crap on me. We didn’t know anything about this, we couldn’t have. Us? We’re just your average human going through our daily lives. Well, actually no, we’re not so average, at least I’m not. I’m like the exact opposite of average, I’m awesome. But that’s not important because guess what? We still fixed up a screwed up team and hauled our fucking asses out against that thing. That outside right now? Aliens made out of material that doesn’t even exist on the periodic table. Creatures we can’t even be sure are alive or just machines, and Gods, did I talk about Gods? We didn’t know anything, but guess who did?”  
  
“—Tony.” The Captain begins, looking pained and also vaguely freaked out, holding his hands out like he wasn’t sure whether he should be stopping who from killing who. “That’s enough!”  
  
“—Shut up Cap you stay out of this. Where was I, ah yes.” Stark leans in closer and the tea cup on the table jumps in fear as his hand slams down. “We didn’t know anything, but you guys did. Knew well enough to answer the five W’s. Who what when where and why, and you guys preferred to sit on your ass and do nothing. But guess what? That’s fine, that’s alright! If that’s what you guys know you want to do, go right ahead, after all like Reindeer Games said, an ant has no quarrel with the boot that stepped on it. The opposite works as well, the boot doesn’t care about the ant.”  
  
The man stops a moment to take a deep breath and down a cup of tea.  
  
“....Wow this really is good tea. Anyway, if that’s how those people work, sure, we can’t force them to care about things they don’t. Hell, maybe they’re all even fighting their own battles, might be even worse than ours, I don’t care. But guess what? You don’t get to lecture us about wrong and right when you yourself can’t even decide what’s correct. Those people out there, your friend the Librarian? That Mordo guy? I can tell they know what they’re doing already, but you don’t. You’re just following along without even admitting you’re following, so you don’t get to tell us what we’re right or wrong about!”  
  
....And what the fuck is he talking about, who does this man think he is, trying to turn Strange into something he’s not. His speech doesn’t even make sense. They’re all being jerks and hiding things but it’s okay for them but not Strange? What the hell? Strange glares at the man, too angry to move in case he loses control and throws him across the room again. Strange is nothing if not strong after all those month of intense training and life-or-death circumstances forced onto him by the Ancient One. He’ll at least get two hits in before the Captain can even try to stop him.  
  
“Be mindful of your words Stark.” He finally grinds out “You’re right, most of us here has more important stuff to do than listening to you throw a tantrum. But do not, never ever say or even think that anyone here cares less about this world than you do. You have no idea the sacrifices they’ve gone through to protect this world. Also I could have just left and gone to do my own business like any normal day but I didn’t, my teacher could have destroyed all of you the moment someone crashed her room and almost hit her when she was sick but she didn’t either. I don’t know if that means anything to you or not but we put more trust in you guys than you think.”  
  
“Oh so this is called trust now.” Stark says sarcastically. “Now listen to me, goatee—I“  
  
“....am very sorry to bother you guys. The Hulk kind of got too excited, that’s on me.” Bruce cuts in, bodily grabbing Tony and forcing him down. “I took a look at your teacher and prescribed her some medication. She has a mild cold I believe, but nothing too bad, just make sure she drinks lots of fluid and sleeps more.”  
  
“....Bruce is a Doctor.” Hawkeye says, gaze flickering between the two of them. “Best of the best, does a bit of everything. You can trust what he said.”  
  
Strange looks around the room, meeting the eyes of varies Avengers and members of the Sanctorum who could at least see them arguing through the panels of glass. There is wariness in the eyes of most.  
  
He really should have summoned the mirror dimension first.  
  
Also, is it his imagination or is someone missing?  
  
“I know, I’m, um, was a doctor too. Doctor Strange remember? That’s more than a made up name.” He ended up signing before giving the man a faint smile and a nod. “But yes, thank you, Bruce. That’s appreciated. I’ll follow her around and make sure she takes them even if it kills me.”  
  
“....Sounds like a hard deal.” The man answered back, smiling shyly himself.  
  
“Like you could not believe.” Strange snorts. “You look at her and she seems all mighty and intelligent right? Except she’s literally up in the clouds most of the day, you can’t understand a word she’s saying and she doesn’t know shit about taking care of herself. Which is really kind of funny cause she tends to pick up strays and teach them how to find peace or something.”  
  
“I can tell.....Not about the taking care of herself, but the finding peace part.” Banner says. “But yeah, she seemed like a very wise person.”  
  
“That, but she also has a very deceitful appearance.” Strange smirked.  
  
“....Excuse me? We were having a moment just now. Are you ignoring me for Bruce?” Stark finally says. “You’re breaking my heart.”  
  
“We were not having a moment.” Strange says. Just as Hawkeye answers with a calm “Yeah, a moment of him trying to eye murder you.”  
  
“Are you eating popcorn, where in the world did you get popcorn?” Strange asked.  
  
“Oh half way through when you started yelling back.” The Widow answered before grabbing the bag and handing it to the Captain. “Want some?”  
  
“No thank you” The Captain answered, still looking kind of sick himself even as Strange choked out a “Yes, but who brought you guys popcorn? I didn’t even know we had popcorn!”  
  
“I did.” Says Wong and holy fuck when did he get in here. Strange is going to survive the car crash only to die of a heart attack. “I’ve been in here longer than they’ve eaten popcorn, you are just too blind to see me.”  
  
“Well excuse us if we were sort of in an productive conversation just now.” Says Stark while Strange tries to get his brain going again. “But since someone who isn’t a student is here, when are you guys going to let us go?”  
  
Why does this man talk like being kidnaped is a daily occurrence?  
  
“Right now actually.” Wong answered. “I am here to tell you all that you can leave, the doors will lead you straight back to New York this time.”  
  
“Wait, so the little doctor was serious when he said we will end up at the moon.” Thor asked and where was he just now, why is he coming back from the library? When did he even leave? How did Strange not see an almost two meter tall god leaving the room.  
  
“He left to find some beer because the popcorn wasn’t very good.” The Widow told him, looking like she’s taking pity on his mind just as Wong deadpanned“ No he’s lying. You’ll just end up somewhere on Mars not the Moon, that’s too close.”  
  
“See that wasn’t so hard was it?” Stark said while Thor started swinging his hammer again, looking like he wants to smash the walls and just break out. “Now Goatee, if you really want to prove my point wrong, why don’t you join us? You look like someone who can hold their own in a fight, also the only one here who ever has facial expression.”  
  
What did the man just say? “....Are you out of your mind?”  
  
“Actually,” Wong says and why does Strange have a bad feeling about this. Wong shut the fuck up! “Strange will indeed be joining you all. By order of the Ancient One, he is to accompany the Avengers and aid in bringing down the Mischief God.”  
  
.....Why did Strange think that he can talk to the Ancient One like she’s a normal person. This must be his punishment for daring to read her books.  
  
“That sounds fantastic!” Thor says and of course he’s happy.  
  
“Don’t worry, it gets easier.” Bruce says, while Hawkeye lifts his tea like it’s beer. “Welcome aboard!”  
  
“Don’t expect us to save you if something happens.” The Widow says.  
  
“Nat, don’t be like that. Don’t worry Strange. If something did happen we’ll definitely help.” And why is everyone so onboard with this, Strange hasn’t said anything yet!  
  
“No, no no no! God, Ancient One No!” He snarled, hitting his head on the table.  
  
“Ancient One Yes.” Wong says almost smugly and that marks the end of the conversation.  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The first and only time he actually failed one of her life threatening classes (and believe him there was a lot of them) was when she tried to teach him how to walk on water. Because apparently it’s really useful to be able to find a foothold anywhere at anytime. Kind of like Jesus.  
“Because it is.” She tells him, looking downward while she stood on the fucking waterfall and he paddled around her feet. The Ancient One is tall as a female, but Strange is tall as a male and normally towers her, not the other way around. “The difference is the ability to see both earth and water as solid ground. Your problem does not lie in your skills Strange. It lies in your mind. Clear your mind and you will succeed.  
“That is like fucking useless advice!” He gasped, trying to both speak and not drink any water. “How do I clear my mind when I’m about to drown. Also my mass and density is nowhere close to that of ice! You can’t expect me to just walk!”  
  
But she is not listening to him. Instead removing herself from the waterfall as if she’s removing herself from the playground. Her shoes aren’t even wet, there’s a lot more than just levitation going on here.  
  
“Dammit!” Strange snarled as she actually sat down by the trees and closed her eyes, looking like she’s preparing to take a nap. “This isn’t fair! How am I supposed to learn when you never teach the steps, just show me the conclusion!”  
  
But this is a fucking waterfall not a lake, and Strange is still mortal no matter how he trains. The water churned around him, pulling him under, pieces of seaweed and who knows what tangling on his legs. Strange tries once, and then again. But this isn’t Mount Everest where he can at least stand on his own feet. Here there is nothing for him to grab onto, just himself in this indifferent universe.  
  
Strange sinks on the third try. And there is a moment of absolute peace before everything goes to hell.  
  
_The car turns over, explodes. But he is still in it! Water rushes in through cracks on the window and somehow he is both burning and drowning at the same time.  
  
There is a man, himself, how is he over there if he’s also down here.  
  
“—“ Says himself.  
_  
A hand reaches down the water, the Ancient One’s slender form faintly visible through the waves and how does that even work, he’s probably half way down the waterfall. Where is she even standing?  
  
Strange grabs on hard and tugs for dear life. His head breaks free as the images from a time he’s fought the get rid of finally stops playing alongside harps and violins in his mind.  
  
“Surrender yourself, Stephen.” The Ancient One says. And she doesn’t get to say that! None of this is okay, what she’s doing isn’t okay! But he didn’t have a choice because he had to fix his hands!  
  
In anger Strange snarls and tries to pull his arm back, but her grip is iron and she is somehow stoping both him and the raging water pouring down around him. Her hand is ice cold in his, even colder than the freezing waterfall.  
  
“If I let go now, you will fall to your death.” She says mildly and who’s fault is that! “I do not think today is the day you will learn.” With her other hand, she reaches towards her Sling Ring.  
  
In a fit of rage Strange lunges forward, using her momentum against her. He grabbed onto the back of her robes and pulled, fingers digging into her back with lighting fast speed. The Sling Ring flies from her grip as he pulls her under.  
  
Strange realizes his mistake a second before he hears her quite inhale. Whatever it was the Ancient One was standing on gives, and she crashes headfirst into his arms, the both of them sink under again.  
  
Shit. Strange thinks. Shitshitshit! The water around them comes tumbling down at twice the speed, all that she was holding back embracing gravity again. The Ancient One is limp in his arms, and he can’t be sure if she’s hurt or not.  
  
They crash downward and all he can think is he’s going to get himself killed and all he can do is hold on to her because at least one of them has to survive! If this was a story then this is where he’s suppose to have a vision or something and make this work. But Strange isn’t like that, and this is a really stupid way to die.  
  
A few seconds before they hit the lake beneath the Ancient One suddenly grabs his arms and flips them so that she’s underneath and he’s above her. Strange barely has time to gasp out a frantic “No!” Before they crash landed.  
  
It’s all a blur after that. The place where waterfall meets lake is filled with sharp rocks and pebbles and hitting water from hundreds of meters up feels similar to just hitting hard earth. He barely remembers how he pulled her unresponsive body behind him. How he got the two of them onto land before doing frantic CPR. Pushing down on her chest again and again even as Wong and the others finally noticed they’ve been gone too long and comes looking.  
  
There is some screaming and kicking, he thinks, when they pull him away from her limp body. Because he’s almost sure he’s killed her, even know it’s technically more her fault than his. There is also Mordo’s gaze on his, blaming even know he has no idea what has occurred here.  
  
After that she had refused to talk to him for the entire week even know she showed up completely normal the very next day, looking as if hitting the ground full of spike rocks and pebbles from a waterfall does nothing. Like how does that even work? And every day Strange had chased her down the hall to apologize? Yell at her? Blame her? Blame himself?  
  
To this day he still doesn’t know what he wants to tell her. When he finally did catch her she had politely excused herself how strangers excused themselves and refused to listen to a word he said. It had taken him nearly three weeks of being on his best behavior and actually getting the spell to work (Oh now his powers decide to work, thanks a lot.) for her to start actually speaking to him again.  
  
“The problem.” Wong had told him when he’s finally given up on pretending nothing is wrong and asked. “Is with trust.”  
  
“Yeah there’s a lot of that between us.” Strange snorts.  
  
Wong had looked at him as if he is a child. “No Strange. The trust is only one-sided, you never did trust her, but now you’ve broken hers as well.”  
  
....And after nearly half a year he is once again chasing her down the hallway.  
  
“Wait, Ancient One please!” He gasped, long legs in full stride to catch up to her, not even watching who he ends up bumping in the way. He is pretty sure he bumped into Wong hard enough to leave a bruise from his hasty exit out of the room full of Avengers, but he seriously doesn’t care. She does not stop to meet him halfway, instead he has to grab her arm to force her to pause.  
  
“What is—what is this madness with me joining the Avengers?” He says, and despite three flight of stairs being literally nothing to him he still feels vaguely out of breath.  
  
“You understand my message then.” She says. “Why do you still come for my confirmation?”  
  
“Why? You’re asking me to go out and fight aliens that’s why! With a group of god and monsters!” Strange says, snarls.  
  
“You overestimate your own worth.” She says. “You are not going to help them, they are going to help you. Calm you’re ego and learn, Stephen.”  
  
“Ego? This isn’t about my ego, it’s about my life!” He growled.  
  
“You are more than capable of taking care of yourself.” She says mildly, and for some reason even with his life at stake Strange feels a shot of warmness up his neck.  
  
“Me going....it pleases you does it not?” He says slowly, trying to find something in her nonexistent expression. Stark is right about one thing, she really is unreadable.  
  
“That is not for me to judge.” She says, sounding almost amused. “But to answer your question, no not particularly, but it does not displease me either.”  
  
“Yet you still told me to go. I would stay if you asked me to you know?” He grunts. “In fact, why me? Why not Wong or Mordo or anyone really. I don’t know anything!”  
  
“That,” The Ancient One says “is exactly why you’re going.”  
  
“Right, if you’re trying to tell me to behave better you can just say so, I’m trying you know! I know I’m not your most tame student and I’ve kind of been a jerk, but you can’t expect me to get better in just one day—“  
  
“Stephen.” She says, and there is both an emptiness and gentleness in her eyes that makes him want to cry. “You should know that causing your anguish is not my intention. I am here to guide you, not lead you.”  
  
“....I know.” He chokes out, except he really doesn’t. But he does as well.  
  
_When the three weeks had passed and she had finally sat down opposite of him like she used to and asked him if he wants some tea, Strange had almost choked up without even knowing why.  
_  
With a tenderness he barely possess, Strange slides his hand downward to hold onto her hand. “Alright...I’ll go. But remember to take your medicine, and no staying on the balcony after the sun goes down. It’s wicked cold up there. I’m serious.”  
  
“....Go now, Stephen, they await you. I will see you later.” She tells him, gently sliding her hand out of his and turns to leave without even a falter in her steps. She does not give her promise. She does not wish him luck either.  
  
Strange stares at her back, frail yet unbending, until the door closes behind her before taking a deep breath and walking down the stairs. The Avengers have gathered near the front door, looking properly rested and nourished. The Captain is talking with Thor, who is leaning on the wall. Clint and Natasha are chattering quietly at the side.  
  
“Well, What took you so long? Was about to falls asleep standing up!” Ironman says in full armor. Bruce looks up from beside him to give a quick smile.  
  
“Well.” Says Strange feeling weirdly hollow despite the fact that he’s about to literally go into war. “Let’s not waste any time then.”  
  
“Welcome to the Avengers, Stephen Strange.” Says Steve Roger.  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Stark tower is as large as the man makes it out to be, maybe even more. Filled with machines and shit that Strange doesn’t even know the name to. But he kind of doesn’t have time to care about that right now.  
  
“On you left!” The Captain snapped as a Chitauri slammed itself three feet from where Strange is standing, claws opened wide and hissing.  
With a snarl he sends the thing flying with a wave of his hands, crashing it into another group of aliens.  
  
“Not bad, Goatee.” Stark says, flying by while dragging three Chitauri by their feet. “By the way, I’ve been thinking. Do you shot lasers out of your eyes?”  
  
“No, what do you think I am? Superman?” Strange growled, bodily wresting a Chitauri away from the very explosive tech table. Magic only gets you so far when you’re so pissed you can barely remember the hand process to summon them. Plus, this let’s off steam. Now why are those things even up here? “Plus, if anything shouldn’t you be able to do that? Being the man of Iron?”  
  
“Oh I already can.” Stark says, and proceeds to fry the Chitauris ganging up on Natasha with twin golden laser. She turns around and gives him a salute before diving back into battle, Clint at her side. “Just wanted to check how magicky your magic actually is?”  
  
“Magicky? What are you? A kid?”  
  
“Man of Iron, how come you never asked me for any test?” Thor says swinging his hammer into a Chitauri’s face.  
  
“Actually I did, but you didn’t know anything.” Stark answered. “Like seriously, how do you know nothing? You’re like a thousand year old right?”  
  
“A thousand and five hundred.”  
  
What the fuck did Strange just hear. And here he thought the Ancient One is the most ancient person he’ll ever see. Thor can totally give her a run for her money.  
  
Said God of Thunder let’s out a war cry and crashes through the window, only to lose his grasp on the hammer and fall three stories through the roof. There is a horrifying screeching sound from where his armor runs against glass. Strange almost loses his shit as goosebumps raised across his arms.  
  
“Holy fuck, what the hell Point Break!” Stark snapped.  
  
“I’m okay!” Thor yelled back.  
  
Never mind, there is no competition.  
  
“This is a horrible welcome party.” Strange grunted. “Where is Bruce by the way?”  
  
“Who said you’re getting a welcome party? Oh right, I did. Never mind.” Tony Stark snorted. “Yeah no, Bruce is a special case, we can’t bring him out unless we’ve cleared the area or we have no choice.”

“The Hulk?”

“So you do know. Why did you ask then?”

“I don’t. A huge green guy fell through the room of my teachers’ room when we were having the first normal chat in months.” Strange signed. “Then I get kicked out to greet you guys and later a man wearing the same pants came out. I can think you know? Also, your reaction just confirmed some things.”

“Huh.” Stark said. “What do you know, someone with brains. Congrats. By the way, if you call Bruce a monster or anything along those lines, I don’t care your part of the Avengers now, I’m going to tank missile you.”

“What do you think I am?” Strange growled.

“A man stuck up his own ass. Better safe than sorry.” Ironman answered.  
  
The Captain’s shield crashes the last Chitauri out of the air just as Strange decided to smack Ironman out of the air and he lands beside the two of them. “Guys, this isn’t the time to chat. Tony, do a damage check. Thor, go see if Natasha and Clint are done. Strange, can you sense where Loki is by any chance? Sense you’re both magic?”  
  
“Who died and made you the leader?” Stark says, but dutifully starts checking. It is still his house after all.

“Aye.” Thor grunted before he too took off.  
  
“No. I’m not at that level yet. Plus, that’s the God of Mischief on the other side. I really doubt he’ll leave any traceable tracks.” Strange growled. “I’ll set up a barrier around the tower that can alert me if any other magic beings are to enter. However that’s all I can track, without his blood I can’t narrow it down any further than Being-With-Magic.”  
  
He waved his hands in the air, concentrating his thoughts as his mind created a bird eye image of the Stark tower. There is shock on the Captain’s face as Strange pulled his hands back, allowing a golden hollow to engulf the entire tower before folding upon itself like a blanket over the sharp edges and walls. The light flickers twice, as if saluting at him before fading out.  
  
“....We’ll just have to make do with that.” Steve finally said grimly. “Thank you, Dr. Strange.”  
  
“Why blood? Does this magic thing include an automatic DNA scan?” Stark asked, sounding fascinated.  
  
“Yes, and no. Blood is the most important thing to all life while still being replaceable. You can die from blood lost, but you can survive on someone else’s blood if needed. It is the one thing that keeps you alive but doesn’t define you.” Surprisingly it’s Thor who answered the question. The man lands in what Strange can only call a super hero landing beside them. “Friend Clint and Natasha are on their way.”  
  
“Thank you, Thor. Your answer answered nothing that science hasn’t already.” Stark said sarcastically.  
  
“That’s is because my brother talked in riddles and this is all I can understand of his speech.” Thor said, sounding both gloomy and nostalgic at the same time. “He was the best of the best in mage craft and there really had been no need for I to learn it as well.”  
  
Huh. Someone else who suffers from lunatic non answers. Strange feels the man.  
  
“Well why didn’t you listen then?” Stark asked “Could have been useful.”  
  
“…I know what you are asking me, Friend Stark. But my brother was a secretive person, he would not have told any information that may cause himself harm, even to I.” Thor answer.  
  
“Besides,” The large man continued quietly “I did listen. I just didn’t hear or understand.”  
  
Strange knows that look, used to wear it himself when he sat in the dark room of the Santorum and contemplated his last words to Christine before she walked out on him. She made a good choice, Strange thinks, because he really never was at his best for her, just his worst. Thor has that look, like he realizes he did something wrong but doesn’t know exactly where, or how to fix it.  
  
There is something else to this story, but as the Ancient One is fond of saying. Who is Strange to mind others business (well she didn’t actually say that, but Strange is pretty sure that’s what she means.)  
  
He cleared his throat, drawing Tony’s attention from the God of Thunder. “Guys, clean up duty anyone?”  
  
Raising his hands Strange twirled them lightly in the air, golden sparks fly along his fingers as pieces of broken glass and metals flow across the room and fixed themselves into piles on the floor.  
  
“Huh....wow, you’re like a human vacuum. Good to know someone cleans after themselves around here.” Stark whistled, then jerked as a piece of metal smacked into the back of his head. “Ow! Seriously man?”  
  
“Yes.” Strange said smugly.  
  
“—Boys? Did we miss anything?” The widow’s voice cuts across the room. The Hawk follows behind him.  
  
Immediately alarms starts going off in Strange’s mind as light almost seemed to pour off Clint in waves. Blue light covered the man from head to toe, before fixating itself in his eyes. Strange’s magic tingled beneath his skin.  
  
“No, nothing. Are you guys hurt?” Steve asked beside him.  
  
“We’re alright.” Natasha answered. “A few bruises here and there, nothing major.”  
  
“You guys should still get that checked over.” The Captain told her gently. “Then we can get a good night sleep.”  
  
“Steve, with all due respect. We have a God on the loose and we still have no idea where he is. This really doesn’t seem like a good time to be sleeping.” She raises an eyebrow.  
  
“This is precisely why we need to sleep Natasha.” The Captain shook his head. “We’re out of ideas on where to start looking. So the next most important thing is to be rested and prepare for the worst.”  
  
“Don’t worry, I’ll stay up for watch duty.” Steve continued, as if afraid someone will tell him no.  
  
“I too, will stay up.” Thor said. “I do not need as much sleep, I shall fly across the city in search of my brother. I will return if I find him.”  
  
“Yeah, you mean fight him on your own.” Stark snorts.  
  
“Tony, this isn’t the time.” Roger signed. “That’s a good idea, Thor. You do that, but please actually return and tell us when you find something. You don’t have to face this alone.”  
  
The God of Thunder looks over at them one more time, as if driving in the difference between them, before he nods once, as if deciding something. The god puts on a wide grin, and slaps Steve across the shoulders, making the man stagger. “Do not worry my friends, I will not take away from you all the joy of battle. I will return when my brother has been found.”

“That’s the spirit, Thor.” The Captain grunted painfully.  
  
And though all this, Strange stared hard at Clint, who stared back without any fear in his eyes, almost darning him to ask.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The reason I post late at night is because I keep on getting problems with the format and have to edit it like fifty times


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And through all of this the only thing Strange can think of is he needs to get better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because seriously, Loki is a lot more clever and powerful than the movie gives him credit for.
> 
> Also I keep on getting spacing problem that doesn't appear on google doc and it pisses me off. Sorry if it looks weird.

This is the first actual bed with cushions and air condition that Strange has slept in for months. The room is amazing, fabulous view of the city, soft music, large washroom that puts even his house to shame. Strange knows what it’s like to be rich, but this, this is on a whole new level. Stark nails home the fact that he is a billionaire by letting Strange pick from any of the thousand bedrooms he probably owns.  
  
And he can’t fall asleep.  
  
With a half snarl Strange removes himself from the bed. Dressing himself is a simple wave of his hands for the clothes to come flying, but Strange takes his time to let his mind clear. He considered moving around in his astral form, but with the weird way his magic reacted to Clint, he’s not so keen on showing himself in his most vulnerable form. Because here’s the thing, as much as people tend to claim it’s the inside that matters or the soul and mind is the strongest part, the is just bullshit. Kill the astral body, the physical one dies as well, and Strange is not so much of an idiot to be floating around in soul form when the God of Lies attacks. After all, he doesn’t know the trick the Ancient One did to force his soul back into his body long distance in but a second.  
  
He doesn’t even know how she removed it in the first place, which, is a hela helpful trick okay! Why didn’t she teach him that trick first?  
  
“Mr. Strange, is there anything I can get you?” JARVIS asked in his metallic gentleman voice, shocking Strange out of his brooding. The first time Strange heard that voice, he had proceeded to explode every light in Stark’s living room, on purpose.  
  
“Dr. Strange.” He signed. “No I’m good, just going for a late night training session.”  
  
“Well then, I am sure the Captain can assist you in that.” The apparently self-aware machine answered him. Stark said something about A.I and buildable programs, but never in a thousand years will he convince Strange that JARVIS isn’t alive. That thing is a sentiment machine able to watch all rooms at all angle all the time and it doesn’t even need to take a break.

  
“He’s still awake?” Strange doubles back a little. “It’s like 2 am right now.”  
  
“He is indeed. Captain Rogers volunteered for first watch. I told him I am programmed to do night duties, but he refused.” JARVIS replied, sounding as unhappy as a British gentleman can sound, and oh right, Strange totally forgot, or maybe he didn’t care. “So is Mr. Stark, if you wish to talk to him instead I can inform him.”  
  
“Jesus Christ no.” Strange choked. “Does no one sleep around here?”  
  
“I dare say Thor is sleeping quite soundly in the living room.”  
  
“....He’s the only person who’s supposed to be awake, what happened to late night scouting?” If he did something like this it’d earn him an automatic three hours on his knees.  
  
“Perhaps.” The machine says.  
  
“Well, how is everyone else then?” Strange signed.  
  
“I cannot tell you sir. I am sorry, but I’m afraid you do not have accessibility to this information.”  
  
“Huh,” he shook his head a few times. At least he knows who’s hiding stuff and who isn’t now. “...Does Clint have accessibility?”  
  
“He does indeed.” JARVIS replies.  
  
“Great.”  
  
With a jerk Strange opened the door to his room, and started trekking down the stairs, ignoring JARVIS saying “Sir, the elevator is that way.” This is as close to endurance training as he’ll get, he’s going to take it.  
  
“....JARVIS, where’s the training room?”  
  
“Third floor, Dr. Strange.” The machine answered. Strange finds it ironic that a computer code is the first to remember his name how he wants it.  
  
He passes the through the hallway, his magic warning him as Thor snored away. However, the call is weak, Thor is a magical being, but Strange has a hunch that he doesn’t actually do magic. His powers sing and fizzles right beneath the skin, a pale bluish light that cracks every now and then, but Thor does nothing with it except to channel it into the hammer he leaves hanging limply by his arm. An entire world of potential wasting away. Which pisses Strange off because if he had that much magic pent up inside him at the beginning of training it could have saved him a lot of trouble. He is tempted to test how the man will react if he wakes him up by force, a fist to the face or a lightning bolt.  
  
But no, if anything, being with the Ancient One taught him to never mess with people whose stronger than how they look, and Thor looks very strong already.  
  
...Like Strange ever did anything sensible.  
  
Strange points a finger at the man and twirls it lightly before walking down another flight of stairs, feeling in a much better mood.  
  
The training room isn’t exactly a training room, or Strange may have overly high expectations since the New York Sanctorum was made thousands of years ago to defend earth. He is sad to say that there aren’t any claws or javelins, no knifes either. Instead everything from to walls to the floor is metal covered, and there is an actual TV and tables with cushion chairs. There is, also, Captain America taking up the punch bag.  
  
“Care to share?” Strange grunted.  
  
“Yeah...Just, give me a moment. 997, 998, 999...1000.” The man takes in a deep breath and grabs a towel to wipe his face, surprisingly not seeming very shocked with his appearance. “Hey Strange. Didn’t expect anyone else down here.”  
  
“Yeah, most people don’t exactly worry about aliens or magic beings eating you up. It gives them a sense of false security.” Strange snorts. “Means most people don’t go to the gym.”

“That’s not what I mean.” Steve frowned.  
  
“Right.” He deadpanned before pointing to Steve’s already dry hair. “That’s some wicked recovery speed. You look like you’re ready for another round.”  
  
“Yeah, I can do this all day.” The Captain smiled, or maybe grimaced is more correct, Strange doesn’t think this man knows how to smile-smile. “It’s from my super serum. Makes me four times the average human and gives me super-fast metabolism, kind of hard to tire me out.”  
  
“Huh. Right. Captain America, only surviving super soldier.” Strange grunted. “You eat a lot?”  
  
“....No. I don’t think so. Why?” The man frowned.  
  
“You have super-fast metabolism.”  
  
“....Which means?”  
  
“Which means you should use up energy really fast, which also means you should eat a lot. Do you not watch the Flash? Is that show still going on?” Strange explained. The Captains face shows no recognition. “....never mind, it’s not important.”  
  
“...Okay then.” Steve said as Strange moved forward, shouldering him aside to put up a new bag. The one from before looks like it’s about to explode any moment. “They didn’t exactly explain the details of the experiment to me.”  
  
“And you didn’t think of asking? Those tests were dangerous you know? Specially in the 90s.” Strange grunts, his fist with its shaking hands slammed against the punch bag. Dammit, it hurts okay! Back at the Sanctorum he had his own special training ground for raw training like this. The training ground for the wounded damaged his pride, since he at least physically looks normal and didn’t lose his hand or anything, but at least it didn’t cause him pain.  
  
“Well.” The Captain said quietly. “Maybe. But it was either that or spend the rest of my days hiding or being looked down on as a small guy. I couldn’t do anything for my country how I used to be.”  
  
“How you used to be?” Strange parroted. “Sorry, but I wasn’t exactly following your story. Never was really into the hero stuff.”  
  
“…Wow, it’s been a while since someone told me that. But it’s fine. Being a hero was never my point anyway. I wanted to be a soldier, except for that wasn’t really it either.” Steve answered with a wave of his hand. He’s brought over two cups of water which he puts on the small table. “Yeah...you kind find this part in most history books now a days, but basically before the serum I was a lot shorter, got sick a lot too. Wanted to enroll into the army, but they didn’t want someone like me. Used up more medication than it was worth probably, and medicine was expensive at that age. And when they finally let me in you could hear them talking about how pathetic I looked. They wouldn’t let someone like me go into battle.”  
  
“They had a point.” Strange grunted, stopping somewhere around three hundred to grab a drink. He raised the cup to the Captain as a silent thank you. “Did it bother you?”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Them calling you pathetic.”  
  
“Oh...No not really. I mean yes, it bothered me that they won’t take me seriously. But it doesn’t change who I am, who I want to be. I just had a longer path than most.” Steve Rogers said, shoulders squared against whatever disagreement Strange might have.  
  
“Well yeah, that means you have nothing to worry about.” Strange smirked instead. “I used to get told I’m a horrible human being all the time. Hell, if my teacher had a top five things she said to me list, ‘silence your ego’ and ‘you over estimate yourself’ would both be on the list. Never screwed me up. We can be ‘shut the fuck up I don’t care’ buddies together.”  
  
Except he kind of does. He’s not going that direction right now.  
  
“I don’t think that’s how it works.” The Captain said, looking like he doesn’t know whether he should laugh or be repulsed. He settles on a light grin instead. “Also, language! Anyway, that talk got dark, want to talk about something else?”  
  
“Sure, they’re all the same to me. And did you seriously just language me?”  
  
“So what got you up at this time?” Steve asked, bravely pretending he didn’t hear what Strange just said. And because Strange has a degree in coping with people not giving him answers, he ignores it as well.  
  
“Ah. Nothing. Couldn’t sleep.” He signed.  
  
“It’s all the electronic isn’t it?” The Captain asked, sounding almost unsure of himself. Strange feels a little pity for this man that has probably just had his life turned upside down worse than his trip to Narnia or something, not that he’ll admit it.  
  
“Yeah.” He grunted. “At both Kamar-Taj and the New York Sanctorum, the living space isn’t exactly made to be comfortable. It’s not the most up to date place, you guys wouldn’t like it there.”  
  
“Oh.” Steve answered quietly, there almost seems to be something nostalgic in his voice. “What’s it like living there.”  
  
Strange has absolutely no idea because he was too busy studying and getting his ass handed to him.  
  
“You do everything yourself, for lack of words.” He ended up saying lamely, shrugging his shoulders. “Wake yourself up without an alarm clock, cook your own meals, clean your own room. The only person who gets shit done for her is the Ancient One, but she gets a pass since she sort of owns the place. You....go to class by foot or if you’re lucky, catch a ride on a bike and get punished if you’re late. Sit under trees and contemplate your life if you’re tired. At least there’s WiFi half the time.”  
  
“That sounds amazing.” Rogers said.  
  
“Right.” Strange deadpanned.  
  
“No I’m serious.” The Captain continued. “Now a-days, everything is so difficult. You guys have iPods and planes that fly across the entire world without stopping for gas. Tony has robots build to clean his trash and order food online for him. The Grocery Store is right outside! Which is great except most people also walk around listening to earphones to the point that it harms their ears and I...I....”  
  
The man makes a vague frustrated gesture with him hands before taking a step backwards. It suddenly occurred to Strange that this man probably has a lot of pent up anger that he doesn’t even let lose because he thinks it’s rude to yell at another person. Might be a good explanation to why he’s punching bags in the middle of the night.“....Sorry, you didn’t come here to listen to my problems.”  
  
“You’re right I didn’t. But I might as well do since I’m not going to sleep anytime soon.” Strange grunted. Why is he doing this, why? “You had a point in this, what is it?”  
  
Steve startled a little before running his hands through his hair, and god Strange just wants this guy to get a clean change of cloth, he stank. “Right. What I’m trying to say is, you’re life style might not be that bad. I know you aren’t use to it now, but back in the 90s, that’s basically how everyone went around. People talked to each other and actually listened. Helped each other too because you can’t get things done on their own.”  
  
There is an expression of pain on Steve’s face, like he’s remembering something or someone from his lost past. But all Strange can think of is ‘people talked to each other and actually listened.’ Yeah, like that ever worked.  
  
Except for maybe it did. Show some respect, Wong had told him.  
  
“Yeah...perhaps it is.” Strange said softly. “It was peaceful, to say the least.”  
  
Steve looked up, almost seeming shocked that someone actually agreed to what he said.  
  
There is a moment of awkward silence.  
  
“So.” Says Dr. Strange “Do you want to help me train in combat?”  
  
“What?” Says Steve Roger, looking at him like he’s grown a second head.  
  
Strange makes a light coughing sounds. “Yeah, I mean Mordo isn’t exactly here to train me right now. And if I went back and the Ancient One realized I’ve not gotten any stronger, maybe even weakened, she’s going to drop me in the middle of the Africa Jungle and wave her fan while I get my legs chewed off by cheetahs.”  
  
“....That is weirdly specific.” The Captain says sounding uncertain.  
  
“I can get a lot more specific, trust me.” Strange snorts. “Enhance your legs, she said. Learn from the best, she said. Anyway, that’s not nearly the worst thing she did to me.”  
  
“Well, I think that sounds kind of wrong. You shouldn’t go along with it if you don’t want to.” Steve answered mildly. “I haven’t actually seen her, but if Bruce has only good things to say about her, I think she’s at least not a bad person. Why don’t you just talk to her about it?”  
  
.....Because until just two days ago he was too much of a scaredy-cat to see past the emotionless stare of hers to the person underneath, whoever that may be.  
  
Also, because now that Strange thinks about it, he doesn’t hold a grudge towards her, despite all the screwed up days he’s had as her student. Most of it isn’t even that bad, taking classes, going to the library, doing your homework (also known as let’s study while the physical form does the resting for you.) But he doubt Steve Rogers can understand this relationship between them that consists mainly of her talking down at him or whisking him away to various locations of the universe. Hell, he doesn’t really understand.  
  
“It’s complicated.” He settles on instead. “Captain, the sorcerers exist in a very different way compared to the rest of humanity. It isn’t that they chose to punish someone or wrong someone, they are simply following their separate law. I am not one of those that grew up as a Sorcerer or has spent years perfecting the art of mage craft. But I know this, the Ancient One is a fine teacher respected by all that she teaches. It must mean something.”  
  
“And do you?” The Captain asked quietly.  
  
“What?” Strange grunts.  
  
“Respect her?”  
  
“....Yes, yes I do.” And surprise, surprise, it’s real.  
  
“Huh.” Steve Roger answered, looking like he really wants to say something about this but isn’t really sure how to start. Strange feels him. “Alright, if this is your....culture. It’s not for me to judge. But about the train you part. I won’t advice it, like I said, I’m a meta human with four times the normal...everything. It’s not exactly a good idea to fight with me.”  
  
“Boy you have seen nothing.” Strange snorts. “Mordo used to fight me with flying boots and enchanted gloves that gave you super strength. Oh, and did I talk about his staff that’s also a whip and burns as well. Don’t underestimate me, Captain, I might give you a run for your game.”  
  
“....Should I be worried about you cutting of my arms in the middle of our fight?” The Captain asked, shaking his head.  
  
“What no!” Steve clearly lets out a breath. “I might turn them into butterflies thou.”  
  
“And that’s...better?” The Captain said uncertainly. Maybe Strange shouldn’t have brought difference of culture into this.  
  
“Oh my god stop talking like you’re going to disrespect something any moment.” He growled, turning around and giving the bag a kick in his frustration. “That was a joke.”  
  
“You don’t talk like you’re joking.” Steve said.  
  
“I have been told that.” Strange grunted. “How about this, you fight me, and I won’t use my magic. Deal?”  
  
“Deal.” Captain fucking America answered. Now things are getting real. Strange lowered him body, rubbing his hands together in excitement. Let’s do this, how bad can it—Steve Rogers closes in on him in the speed of light and punches him in the guts so hard he almost puked up his dinner.  
  
“Fuck!” Strange snarled, fighting the urge to just strengthen his stomach or use reflection. With one hand he grabs the Captains still out stretched arm and pulled, throwing the man over his back, but Steve twists out of the way before he can slams him.  
  
“Language!” The Captain gasped. He rolled across the floor, increasing the distance between them.  
  
“Make me!” Strange growled.

He makes the first move this time, aiming for the Captains perfect teeth, but instead of letting the hit connect with the Captains cross, he drops like how Mordo did a few days ago in class and kicked Steve’s legs out beneath him. There is a surprised hump as the man went down hard, but Steve recovers faster than Strange ever did and does fucking acrobatic to grab Strange’s neck between his legs while on the floor and throws him sideways into the wall. Strange rolls across the floor just in time to save himself from getting embedded into said wall by the Captains foot.

What the hell is this guy? The Black Widow?

“First rule, making your enemy lose their footing doesn’t mean you can lose your concentration.” Steve Rogers said.

“…believe it or not I didn’t lose focus.” Strange grunted in between the man raining punches at him, he has his hands behind his back to minimize attackable surface area like how the Ancient One had done in a sparring session between her and Mordo that Strange had peeked at through the doorknob. He didn’t stay to see her destroy him.

There is no opening no matter which way Strange looks, Steve Rogers is relentless and perfectly balanced, leaving no opening for someone to attack. This is a man made purely out of steel, who has seen and been through an actual war and fights like it. He forces Strange backwards across the training ground in a slow and almost beat filled flurry of moments, in no hurry to finish him off. Well, Strange thinks, what’s the saying again? Oh yes, you can’t beat a river into submission, you have to float alongside it. Or something like that.

He digs the heel of his foot into the ground and stands still as Captain Americas fist lands a solid blow onto his chest.

“huh?” The Captain grunts, clearly not expecting the hit to land, or maybe he just didn't expect Strange to not go flying from the punch.

“Surprise, you douchbag.” Strange answered, and proceeds to grab the outstretched fist and pull the man in, twisting his body sideways. Putting his entire body weight into it, Stephen Strange kicks Steve Rogers in the guts so hard the man actually flies a few feet and rolls across the floor in a circle. There is a soft huff of surprise as the Captain lands in an almost feline form, automatically protecting his stomach and head.

“You fell for the same trick twice.” He said smugly as the Captain gingerly picked himself back up.

“Not bad, not bad at all.” The Captain said slowly, and something in his voice makes Strange tense up. “…But you should have followed up with an attack to the back of my neck.”

What? Strange thinks. Oh shit.

There is no pause as the Steve Rogers charges him again, the man doesn’t slow down even as Strange goes for a right hook. Instead, the Captain grabs him around the middle and lifts him into the air, then he bodily throws him across the room like Strange’s a shack of floor without even quickening his breath. Face forward.

Yeah. Strange is done with this shit.  
  
....Gosh the Captain is strong, they weren’t joking about being superhuman, he thinks while lying upside down, legs in the air. Why did he agree to not using magic again? What is wrong with him?  
  
“That was a good fight.” Says the Captain, giving him a hand.  
  
“Don’t mock me.” Strange snapped, pride wounded.  
  
“No seriously,” Steve Rogers says. “you did much better than I thought you would, you’re a lot faster than you look as well. Whoever trained you must have been a battle hardened soldier.”  
  
“Whoever trained me is a battle hardened soldier but not me?” Strange says sarcastically.  
  
“Good reflexes, but lacking in experience.” The Captain explains while pulling him up. “But seriously, I thought wizards are supposed to fight using wands and magic at long distance? I wasn’t expecting a right hook.”  
  
“What book did you read?” Strange snorts.  
  
“Harry Potter.” The man answered.  
  
“Yeah no, read the Hobbits and Lord of the Rings instead. That’s how real wizards fight.” At the Captain confuses expression Strange signed. “It’s um, a running joke in China that a mage who doesn’t do close combat isn’t a good mage.”  
  
“....Okay I’ll put it on my list.” Says the Captain. For a moment the man almost seems to be considering something, but in the end he squares his shoulders and asks anway. “Now, do you want to tell me what’s the problem with your hands?”

Strange stiffened. “What?”

Almost as if he sensed this is a sore topic, the Captain raised both his hands up in a peace sign, like he was the one that just got slammed, not Strange. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

“Your hands, or your fingers to be more precise.” Steve continued. “That last punch you did? You were favoring them to the point that you were attacking me with just your knuckles more than your fist. I don’t know if it’s automatic or not, but before you punch, you lower your fist by an inch first, that can’t be good your wrist.”

Right, Captain from the 90s who had nothing to do since he was defrosted except for train non-stopping until aliens showed up. Strange should have expected this, just because the Ancient One somehow knows he had an accident and underwent seven different procedures doesn’t mean everyone in the world knows.

“There’s nothing to talk about.” He answered stiffly, and when the Captain gave him a worried look he rolled his eyes at the man. “No, seriously. I’m over the freak out over this phase already. Had a car accident a while ago, left some lasting injuries.”

“Oh.” Steve Rogers said. “I’m sorry about that. Can’t magic…heal your hands?”

The face he has on makes Strange vaguely want to snort, except for it’s really rude. Especially since the man clearly doesn’t want anything to do with magic.

Strange snorts.

“Technically, I just haven’t gotten there yet.” And well look, he sounds more confident that how he feels.

“Right.” Steve answered. “Just so you know, if your hand really hurts that much to the point that you’re unconsciously altering your fighting style, maybe you should sit the future battles out. You’re a great help already if you stay on the sideline and help with technology problems like Bruce is doing.”

Yeah, that worked out great, the Ancient One probably still has a hulk sized dent on her floor. The only reason Strange didn't become human-meat-pie is because she then proceeded to punch his lights out, physically.

Wait, is that what she did? Does punching the Astral Body out count as a physical attack? Strange is so screwed up by this. Anyway, he’s is still waiting for Bruce to drop dead from a curse at any moment now cause he’s pretty sure the Hulk stepped on her favorite tea cup.

“Didn’t I just say forget Harry Potter?” He rolled his eyes pointedly at the Captain. “Also look, I‘m not here helping because I want to help, I’m here because I’ve got a duty and a command and I intend to finish them. You of all people should know what that means, Captain.”

It’s a bit of a low blow, but the effect is huge. Immediately something lights up in understanding in the Captains eyes.

“…My apologies.” Steve Rogers said. “I shouldn’t have doubted you.”

Strange is for some reason so very annoyed by this that he doesn’t even bother to roll his eyes a second time at the man.

“However,” Steve Rogers continued. “Strange, have you considered changing your fighting style?”

“…What?”

“Just now, you had an extremely powerful kick going on, and the reflex needed to execute it at the right time.” Steve Rogers continued mildly. “Have you ever considered a fighting style based mainly on your legs and not your hands? It might actually leave your hand free to do spells as well.”

_“You over estimate you own worth.” The Ancient One had said. “You are not going to help them; they are going to help you. Calm your ego and learn, Stephen.”_

Gah. Strange thinks, and then mentally lets out of string of curses so horrible that the dark dimension itself would be unable to turn it into reality. His teacher is going to be so smug about this, but Strange isn’t going to give her to pleasure of knowing she’s correct, again. So god help him, afterward he’s going to destroy Mordo.

“Huh.” Outwards Strange grunted. “I haven’t actually thought of that. That…actually sounds like a solid plan. Thank you, I’ll work something out.”

“Yeah, no problem. Back in the war, you don’t always get removed safely off the battlefield, no matter what the injuries were. Sometimes you just had to make do with life.” The Captain smiled at him, and this time it almost looked real. “Hey, if you’re still up to it, we can go a few more rounds. See if there’s some advice I can give.”  
   
“…You’re on.” Strange answered, holding out his fist.

The Captain stares at it in confusion before taping it lightly.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So, Thor, what do you actually know about your brother?” Stark says, after an entire night with no one ringing the alarm. Which would have been a good thing, except time is against them.

There is a tightness to the air they breathe, Strange thinks, like it’s either too stale or too polluted. Which makes since, when there’s an actual god out there somewhere and you don’t even know where he’s going to turn up next.

There is music in the background, a low slow beat that sounds nothing like what Strange expects a billionaire playboy to listen to.

- _Yo, listen up, here's a story._

“I don’t know.” Thor says.

“How do you not know?” Stark snorts. “If you’re actually that Thor from the myth, that would mean you know each other what? A thousand year? You guys wore dresses together! Come on man, give me something to work with!”

Bruce shifts almost painfully in his seat, gaze flickering between the two of them, looking torn between asking a question himself or just bolting from the room.

“I mean, anything!” Stark continued. “Favorite color, vacation spot? Weird fetish with horns and armor? Something that may give us a hint on where he’ll turn up next?”

“Stark, _I don’t know_.” Thor says again, and there is no questioning his answer. The large man grits his teeth, head raised defensively. “Ask me half a year ago, and I can give you all the answers in the world, but don’t ask me of this now.”

“Bullshit.” Says Stark.

_-About a little guy that lives in a blue world._

“Wow.” Strange grunts. “You guys are an amazing team; I can smell the chemistry.”

“You stay out of this doctor.” Ironman replies without breaking eye contact. Strange can’t be sure whether he’s goading Thor on or if it’s just the man’s nature charm. “Listen Thor, yesterday I had to remove the fiftieth robot monster from this tower, this place has basically become a war zone. And it may not mean anything to you war gods, but my _girlfriend_ basically lives here. I’m not having Pepper come back to her life’s work destroyed.”

“Do not talk at me as if I have no care for the human world.” Thor says. “You don’t know what I sacrificed for it.”

“Sounds like what a whining teenager would say.” Tony answered.

_-And all day and all night and everything he sees is just blue._

It'd be nice if the spies actually had an underground network like they're shown to have in the movie, Strange thinks. What Strange really is trying to say is none of this feels real and he really just wants to go back to sleep, he was up until 5 am dammit. But no, the Widow is still giving him that look of distrust and he doesn't want to get brutally murdered by her in the middle of his nap.

_-Like him inside and outside._

“…Cease the music.” Thor says. Wait what, what did Strange tone out? Why are they talking about the music?

“What?” Tony grunts, asking Strange’s question. Good, Strange still haven’t figured out how he’s supposed to deal with a god yet. “It’s Effel 65, it’s awesome music! What’s your problem Point Break, just because you don’t appreciate music doesn’t mean someone else can’t!”

“Stark.” The Captain says, voice strained, always the first person the address the elephant in the room.

“-Cease the music!” Thor roars, and there is lightning at his finger tips and gold in his eyes and Strange shield vibrates against him. A god in his full glory, wild and unstrained, strong and not yet bend by what this world has to offer. The man raises Mjolnir as if he’s about to summon thunder right into the fucking hundred floor tall building.

“Thor, calm down!” Steve yells, shield raised. Strange idly contemplates the possibility of the shield actually managing to deflect the attack somewhere, and whether it’ll do more damage than just letting Thor go nuts. “Both of you! We’re not the enemies!”

“Guys, I’m sort of not okay with this.” Bruce says, voice strained.

“Bruce, do you need a minute on your own?” Natasha asked, reaching a hand out onto his shoulder.

Strange raises his hands and opens a portal to Niagara Falls right above Thor’s head, drenching the man head to toe. The Thunder God stutters indignantly, lightning giving out to little sparkles on his finger tip.

“…Wow.” Says Hawkeye.

“…Did you know that water conducts electricity? We could have all died.” Says Stark.

“What he means is thank you, Strange, we all appreciate that.” The Widow translated expressionlessly.

“It’s a little trick, anyone can do it.” Strange grunts, he leaves out the part about his setting this up last night when Thor was asleep. This wasn’t exactly how he planned his trick to work out, but at the very least it ended up useful.

Huh.

“Yes, Strange, thank you, really. Now can we actually start thinking instead of asking questions and blaming each other?” The Captain says, and for once he actually sounds angry. Not the exploding volcano kind like Thor, but the silent know-your-shit kind. He nods at the Widow, a good choice. “What do we know?”

“Loki has infiltrated a good number of shield’s agent when he came to Earth. We don’t know who we can and cannot trust right now.” Natasha says. “The good news is hitting them really really hard on the head apparently knocks sense back into them.”

“How is that good news.” Hawkeye grunts, but manfully stays silence afterwards.

“In case you don’t know yet, Doctor, the Tesseract gives out faint gamma rays, which is how we’ve tracking it down before, with limited success.” Bruce explained.

“By the way, tracking mainly includes just me and Bruce, since everyone else is apparently compromised.” Stark cuts in. “So we would really appreciate it if you have some weird way of tracking Loki with your….magic mumbo-jumbo.

“Stark, say magic mumbo-jumbo one more time and I will throw you out of your own house.” Strange growled, because seriously Stark is destroying the mood.

“Wouldn’t be the first time.” The man has the gale to whistle at him.

“Anyway. Our first guess had been that Loki would open the portal at Stark Tower, since he seems like someone who would want a grand entrance, but instead we just got him leading a normal attack.” Steve cuts in.

“If my brother is in his right mind, then there is no way he will act in such a predictable way, he is a master strategist.” Thor grunts.

“…In other words he caused a distraction and you guys fell for it.” Strange raised an eyebrow.

“Close enough.” Hawkeye snorts. “By the way, that’s also why Bruce smashed into your school for magic and witchcraft.”

Oh. Finally, someone explains that part.

“Fine.” Strange grunts. “I’ll see what I can search up. Thor, I need another strand of your hair.”

“What for?” The large man asked, hand moving up to one of his braids. “Wait, another?”

“To find a person, the quickest way is to have blood from that person. But since you guys clearly don’t have that, DNA from a family member will have to make do.” He signed. “How do you not know this? You’re literally from space.”

“Oh.” Thor said quietly, or as quiet as Thor can be. “Then, Friend Strange, I am afraid my hair will be of no use to you. Loki is my brother in name, not blood.”

“…. Geeze, how can you not tell?” Stark snorts. “I mean look at them! They don’t even look remotely similar. What are you? An idiot?”

For some reason Thor looks just as embarrassed as Strange feels at that moment. “Well, excuse me for not knowing, all I know about the guy’s look is from the video tapes you’ve shown me. And normally you don’t think about stuff like this.”

“Actually, DNA wise speaking, if someone else in the family tree had genes for black hair, Loki could have inherited it from them, since black hair is the dominant phenotype.” Bruce says in a matter of fact voice. And god Strange is so done with reminding people he’s also a doctor.

“Strange, without DNA, can you still tract Loki?” Steve asked.

“…It’s possible.” He admits grudgingly. “But I’ll need time, a few days, to be exact. If I can’t use blood or DNA, the next closest thing will be memories and legends.”

“A few days?” Thor says in alarm. “Loki could have done it in less than one, Friend Strange, can you not work faster?”

“Thor has a point, we don’t have a few days, that’ll be like waiting to see where does the Chitauri show up on the news next. He’s creating a portal, not building a castle.” Stark growled.

“Take it or leave it. I’ve had training in quote mage craft, unquote, for less than a year, what do you expect?” Strange growled, removing himself from the chair, noting that Steve looks a little ashamed of himself, even know it’s technically not his fault. “Doctor Banner, since you’re the only one who isn’t being illogical, would you like to come along and help? I assume you also know the most about gamma radiation.”

The gray haired man startles for a bit, then his face focuses to one of seriousness. “What do you need?”

“The energy readings, for a start.” Strange grunts. “Or actually, for you to explain them to me.”

“…Wait a minute.” Natasha says slowly, thoughtfully.

Strange turns to look at her.

“Would anything DNA do?” She asks.

“Blood and hair would be the best, but I can work with the others as well.” Doctor Strange admits. “What about it?”

Natasha doesn’t look at him, instead turning around to face Hawkeye. “Clint, phone Fury, tell him to dig up the glass cage Loki was put in.”

“I see.” Says Barton.

“What?” Strange grunts.

“Holy macaroni, Nat you’re a genius.” Stark says.

“…I heard a person loses a hundred strands of hair every day.” Natasha says as an explanation. “That’s a lot of hair.”

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Strange sits down on the couch, Natasha and Clint curls up on his left like a group of kittens and Steve stiffly sits down on his right. Thor is standing guard at the door with Bruce, from what Strange isn’t sure.

“Just to be sure, you’re not going to blow up my tower or anything right?” Stark says.

“I’m above that.” Strange grunts.

“Just making sure, cause I really like my house, also JARVIS.”

“Normally, you’d do this with a lot more preparation and books, and gloves.” Strange explained, opting to ignore the man. “But this should work just fine. No body touch or try to wake me up half way. It’s sort of like don’t wake someone up when they’re sleepwalking.”

He isn’t even remotely joking, Strange knows someone at Wong or Mordo level would be able to just twist his fingers a bit and the magic would do the searching for him, quick and safe. But Wong was an angel and didn’t let him read any of the books on cross dimension.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got my eyes on the boys.” Natasha says with a smirk.

With a brisk nod, Strange raises his hands, holding them out before him and _not looking at how they shake_. Taking in a deep breath, he dives in, astral body coming free to break apart the barrier between space.

Images and voices flies past him, a girl holding a balloon, a pigeon glooming its feathers, the cat behind it. Someone’s heartbeat, slow and unsteady and he should really get it looked at at the hospital.

Focus, Strange.

The vortex narrows, and Strange lands.

 _Finally._  

Black, some place almost like a cave and definitely nowhere on Earth greats him first. There is a staff with a blue gem being handed to someone, Loki to be precise. _What is this, a memory?_

There is the image of a building, a rural ground, silent and as far away from people as you can get in New York. There is also something else, something important, but Loki’s defenses are up in a second and Strange can’t go in further.

“Who’s there!” Loki snarled, even as his mind opened and his thoughts engulfed Strange.

Shit, Strange thinks, and a part of his mind is chiding him in the background about seriously believing he can do this unnoticed.

The swirl of emotions hits him so hard that his physical body actually doubles backwards, as if hit in the head with a hammer, distantly he can hear Stark yelping about “Plan B”. Images flows through his mind, range in everything from imaginary blades running down his back to ice digging through his skin and producing from every angle possible to a world of nothingness. And Strange is falling and falling and there doesn’t seem to be an end.

The God of Mischief looks around wildly, hackles raised and an almost wolf like snarl on his lips, until his eyes locate themselves to meet Strange, as if he is staring at him through the dimensions. Loki reaches him arm forward, bending space to his will, a god in everything single way, powerful and regal. Yet, there almost seems to be a weird light in his eyes, something dark and sinister and incredibly young.

He is in pain. Strange realized, mind on the verge of exploding, both being dragged deeper into the abyss and trying to pull himself back out. In pain and afraid, for lack of better words. Why would the God of Mischief be afraid when everything is going exactly how he planned?

“A little mage like you, and you dare to enter my mind.” Loki says, growls, and his eye gleam, eyes as blue as frost. “Be gone!”

Fuck, Strange thinks, fuckfuckfuck!

He is not equipped to deal with this, a backlash of this level would turn him into an idiot. Why did he agree to this? He shouldn’t have done this, he overestimates himself. For him, a fish in the pond to dare challenge a shark that’s swam across the ocean, in a fight that he excels at no less, Strange is an idiot.

The energy wave hits him so hard Strange almost expects himself to be on the floor, bleeding from all possible holes on his face. But he doesn’t, instead Loki is a wolf in his face, fear and anger all bundled into one, determined to destroy yet another person who dares to mess with his mind. (wait, yet another?) And Strange can’t escape like this, he’s going to have to fight—

Imagine a weapon. Mordo had said, and then create it.

A weapon, something or someone strong enough to fight against a God, someone who will never bend to anything or anyone. This is more than a battle of magic; it is a battle of will. Strange raises his arms, his astral form glowing, and _creates_.

For a moment nothing else happens, and Loki simply comes even closer, and then everything explodes in a wave of golden magic, filled by hollows and letters Strange doesn’t ever remember seeing. There is a grunt of surprise from Loki.

The Ancient One stands before him, tall and proud. There is no hesitation as her half transparent form raises to full height and moves forward to intercept the God of Mischief. Something almost seems to pass between the two of them, and the battle Strange expects to take place doesn’t occur. Instead Loki takes a deep breath, as if calming himself down, or perhaps waking up from something. He steps back, and she does as well, both slowly fading out, leaving Strange alone in his mind.

She turns to look at him at the last moment, and Strange knows that she isn’t actually here, this is the mental world, which means nothing here is real, everything is just an imagination. That’s probably the only reason Strange managed to fight Loki off, because his mental image of the Ancient One is a hundred times more powerful than Strange’s mental image of himself.

It doesn’t make it less painful when her eyes meet his and there almost seems to be disappointment in those emerald eyes.

 _I’m sorry_ , Strange thinks, _for not being what you want me to be._

_But this is who I am._

He physically opens his eyes to find that he’s surprisingly still in his original position, sitting cross-legged on the couch, hands shaking in midair. The Avengers are gathered around him, each looking more vary than the last. Steve has both hands outstretched like he expects Strange to face plant into the table any moment. Stark is holding onto his phone, doing what, Strange has no idea. Thor is the only one who doesn’t look surprised, and for a moment Strange actually wants to go up and strangle the guy, because seriously a word of caution on what to expect could have saved him a lot of trouble.

“Strange, are you okay? Do you need to rest for a bit?” Bruce asked, coming back from what Strange expects to be the washroom with a towel.

“I’m good.” He grunts, but takes the towel Bruce hands him. “Thanks, what for?”

“You have a nosebleed.” Bruce says, looking a little sick. “Also you were doing this really weird head jerk thing and we were a little scared that you’d snap your own neck.”

Nosebleed? What is he…Strange touches the top of his lip gingerly with a hand, huh, what do you know? “Oh. So I am.” Technically he should be glad he got off with nothing more than a nosebleed.

Strange really, really needs to beat someone up right now.

“Get up, all of you, we’re going in for a fight. I know where Loki is.” He says instead, and immediately he can feel the mood in the room lightening, a weight lifted off everyone’s shoulders.

“Seriously? All right, Doctor, you’re good for something after all!” Stark cheered. “You get a position as the tower mage now, JARVIS, update that!”

“Yes, Mr. Stark.” The AI says, sounding almost pleased.

“Well, what are we waiting for then?” Thor grinned widely. “Friend Strange, if you will give us the coordinates.”

“I’ll go and give Fury a call, Clint, you stay and prepare with the others.” Natasha says.

And through all of this the only thing Strange can think of is _he_ _needs to get better_.

**Author's Note:**

> And finally The Avengers have appeared. Next Chapter is going to be focused more on them.  
> Did I say I love the Ancient One by the way? Cause I love the Ancient One.


End file.
